One Big Sneeze
by SquidtasticPlastic
Summary: Fevers? Spells gone wrong? A missing wizard? One big problem? The 7D have a whole lot to worry about this time, especially when Sneezy finds himself at the WRONG end of a magic wand.
1. Sniffles

Chapter One- Sniffles

"Grim, where are you?!"

Hildy tapped her feet on the ground, looking at the clock atop the wall. It had been an hour since she had woken up and she knew there wasn't a moment to waste! There was trouble to be made in Jollywood but at the moment, she was waiting.

Waiting for Grim.

The goofy wizard had been moving slower than usual, Hildy becoming suspect when she had to pull him from the bed. Grim had promised to get up, to join her in mischief making but he still hadn't come out from the bedroom.

"GRIM! **_GRIIIIIM!_**" the witch shrieked "Don't make me come up there! I will turn you BACK into a spider if you-!"

_"__UNNNNGH!"_

Hildy stopped once she was at the top of the stairs, a little surprised to hear such a moan.

"Oh, was that one of our undead pets….or did Grim get into the sugar skull cookies again last night?"

Hildy walked cautiously too the room, opening the door to see….

Grim.

The man was half lying on the bed, half on the floor, his long legs dangling on the floor and his clothes on in such a haphazard way that Hildy was stunned. Grim was NEVER a slob in his fashions so to see him so…so….

So messy!

His jacket wasn't even on completely, his wand clutched weakly in his hand.

"Grim? Lovey cakes?"

The wizard turn, his eyes blinking blearily but he smiled upon seeing his wife "H-Hi, witchy face. S-Sorry it's taking me so long to!"

A tickle in the nose.

Watery eyes.

"Ah-!"

"Grim?"

"AH-!"

"AH! AH! GRIM! DON'T-!"

**_"_****_CHOO!"_**

There was a FLASH, a SPARKLE, a great CRASH!

The Gloom's cottage instantly transformed, becoming-!

A gingerbread house?

And to match it all, Hildy found herself dressed in a frilly, pastel dress, Grim matching the ensemble with a suit outfit that looked just as ridiculous.

"Ew! EW!" the witch screeched, hopping up and down in disgust "Sugar pink and lace?! Get it off, get if off!"

With one flick of the wand, the house was returned to normal…but this time Grim was on his back, breathing heavily and feeling twice as bad as he had before.

"Sorry…" he sniffed loudly "I think its allergy season for me."

Hildy hovered over the man, picking him up rather roughly by the collar of his jacket. She took a few looks at him.

"Mm-hmmm…ALLERGIES. I'm sure."

Watery eyes.

Red nose.

Sweaty skin.

Labored breathing.

This wasn't allergies.

Grim had a fever. A BAD one.

"Grimmy, I hate to say this…" Hildy sighed, shaking her head "But me thinks you should spend a few days in bed while I do the trouble making!"

"What?!" the man coughed, trying to pick himself up "I'm telling you love-cups! Th-this is just ALLERGIES! A-and-!"

The man's eyes grew huge as he looked upon his wife, lip quivering.

"A-Are you saying that I wouldn't help you like this?"

Hildy just blinked, helping her husband onto his feet before shoving him into the bed "YES. Yes I am."

Low blow.

"You can try to hide it Grimwold, but I know a sick wizard a mile away…." The witch said, conjuring up a thermometer, shoving it into her husband's mouth.

Up and up it went, the bulb hitting the top and glowing red.

"And you sir, are one hundred percent SICK!"

"B-But what about our plans?!" Grim said, looking even more upset as he sat up in bed and clutched onto his beloved "W-We were going to do so many terrible things today! Dye Queen Delightful's hair POLKA-DOT! Turn the river into month old pudding! I-it was to be our…Ah-!"

"Grim! WAIT!"

"AH-!"

"Put your wand down before-!"

**_"_****_CHOO!"_**

***POOF!***

And then the house was a monster truck stadium, complete with various monsters and creatures driving around, the Glooms in the middle of the track and huddled together as the enormous vehicles road around them.

"GRIM!" shouted Hildy "YOU'RE STAYING IN BED!"

"WHAT?!" the man said "I CAN'T HEAR YOU! THERE ARE TOO MANY TRUCKS AROUND!"

* * *

Not too far from the Jollywood castle, seven little fellows prepared themselves for the work day ahead.

"Has anyone seen Sneezy?" huffed Grumpy, looking around for his wayward housemate "I swear, he's always missin' when I need him, but when I DON'T need him, he's blowin' everythin' aw-!"

Without warning, the little dwarf popped up from the cart Grumpy was about to enter "Hey Grumpy!"

Grumpy gave a shout as he fell back on his bottom, Sneezy smiling blissfully before him.

"Urgh…NIIIICE to see you this morning." Grumpy grimaced, the smile fake as anything "But now that I found ya, can ya do me a favor?"

"Uh, sure…" the younger dwarf smiled, hopping out of the cart "What do ya need me ta do?"

"I need ta check on the chickens today. Take in all the eggs they have. I know I'm gonna hafta deal with a lot of 'em so an extra hand would be useful!"

"Aw, of course!" smiled Sneezy, looking rather excited "I'll be glad ta give ya ah-!"

"Sneezy?"

"AH-! AH-!"

Grumpy knew what was going to happen next.

_**"**__**CHOOOOOOOOOOOO!"**_

With a great blast, Sneezy was sent into a tree, landing within it rather clumsily before toppling out. Grumpy began to rethink his plans for the day. He knew that Sneezy WANTED to help him but upon taking a look, it seemed that the dwarf's sneezing powers where even stronger on this day than they had ever been.

Maybe…maybe this was a mistake.

"Er…perhaps you should sit this one out. I mean, I can find one of the others!"

"Ah, it's no problem!" Sneezy said with a smile, after wiping his nose of course "Besides, the others are too busy right now! We wouldn't want ta disturb them would we?"

Grumpy smacked his forehead; this was only going to get more painful as the day went on.


	2. Sneeze

Chapter Two –Sneeze

"Now, I want you to stay here…" Hildy said in a motherly tone as she looked back at Grim "I'm just going out for a moment to pick you up some cockatrice soup. It's the PERFECT remedy for a wizard with a fever."

"But Hildy!" Grim whined, wearing his bunny pjs and clutching the covers "You know I HATE cockatrice soup! Its bitter an' nasty an' the stones get caught in my teeth!"

"But it works and you know it!" the woman huffed, hopping on her broom "And if you're a good lil wizard, I'll bring you back a special treat!"

"Can…can it be a bunny?" Grim smiled "I-I like bunnies!"

Hildy just blinked.

Grim; he was so sweet, he was so supportive.

But his brain wasn't always there.

"YES." She smiled "BUNNY. Something with….BUNNIES."

And with that, the witch took off, leaving Grim alone in the large bedroom. The man lay in bed in silence, the clock on the wall ticking loudly.

"I don't feel that bad…" he muttered to himself like a child "I don't know why Hildy is making me do this! I can take care of myself!"

"You? Taking care of yourself? HA!"

The wizard looked over, seeing Crystal Ball smirking over at him.

"'Member what happened LAST TIME Hildy left ya alone, Grimmy? You turned the house upside down, made GOATS come out of the faucet and need I remind you of all the frogs that were STREAMING from the cupboards!"

"I-I was just…."

Grim huffed again, pushing the table that the ball was on.

"I was just trying to SURPRISE Hildy with something! How was I supposed to know that GOATS would replace our water?!"

"Well, when you say a spell that goes 'Let the goats POUR', that tends to happen!"

Grim sniffed and coughed, feeling a little sicker the more he argued with the magic item but he wasn't fully convinced that he was that ill as to not join his wife.

"Not fair…stupid cold! Stupid bed! I wanna get out!"

"And WHERE do you think you're going?" asked the ball, watching Grim stagger out of the bed "Do you WANT Hildy to throw a fit when she gets back or is this something you two do that I was unaware of?"

Grim made his way to the closet to find his proper clothes. He coughed loudly but managed to dress himself.

"This is ridiculous! I'm in PERFECT condition to help Hildy terrorize Jollywood! In fact-!"

The man reached for his wand, spinning it in the air.

"In fact, to show her that I'm FINE I'll….I'll cast a spell to turn those Ds into MICE!"

"Oh, mice?" the ball said in a patronizing voice "Hey, maybe then you'll have someone who matches you intellect to talk to!"

"Why thank you!" Grim bowed, the insult going right out the other ear. He puffed out his chest proudly "When I come back with a cage full of seven mice, Hildy will be so PROUD of me that she'll-!"

A coughing fit.

A HUGE coughing fit.

Grim went to his knees, coughing so hard that Ball was surprised that no one in the next kingdom could hear him!

"Whoa! Not good!" the magical item said "Man, if I had HANDS I'd be able to help ya up there-!"

"I-I'm okay!" Grim hacked, rising to his feet and getting on his broom though he did so clumsily. His head was starting to spin and his body felt both overheated and cold at the same time "I-Is that just the wind?!"

"I'm sure the wind passin' through your skull isn't strong enough to make you feel THAT bad! Get back in here!"

"NO!" the wizard sniffed and sneezed "Not until-! I-! AH-CHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

And with one sneeze, Grim BLEW himself out of the cottage and towards the forest of the seven D.

Speaking of D…..

* * *

Sneezy and Grump were busy away, collecting the eggs from the chicken coop, Grumpy keeping talley and Sneezy happily collecting them for the older dwarf.

"Let's see…" Grumpy said to himself as he went over the list "Matilda laid seven eggs."

"Seven!" sang Sneezy, looking at the eggs in the basket.

"Gertrude had only five…"

The sniffling little dwarf plucked the eggs from the nest and added them to the basket "Makes a total of twelve!"

Grumpy nibbled on the eraser, continuing his count "For Susie, there was thirteen."

"Baker's dozen!" laughed Sneezy.

Grumpy frowned. Yes, Sneezy was being a big help for him but for some reason, the dwarf as just as jolly, and annoying, as Happy was.

Heck, maybe HAPPY would have been less distracting.

Oh wait, his songs.

Grumpy quickly retracted the thought.

"Okay, we only need ta look in two more next an' we'll be done for the day."

"Hey, great!" smiled Sneezy as he rushed ahead, carrying the basket in his hands "Lemme get those for ya! I mean, ya did most of them already!"

"No, no, no!" the grumpy dwarf said in worry, trying to pull his friend back "I've got it covered Sneezy! There's a REASON I wanted ya ta stay in the back!"

It was too late. Sneezy was already moving towards the two hens, basket still in hand as he looked over at them.

"Hey Penelope, Candice! Ya have any eggs for us?"

The two small hens clucked happily as they moved out of the way for Sneezy to see.

Both had three perfect brown eggs in their nest. The dwarf smiled as he took them, adding them to his collection.

"Well, this collection should make for a fine omelet, don't ya think?"

Grumpy was still a little cautious, moving slowly towards Sneezy to take the basket "Erm, yeah. But-!"

"See? An' ya thought somethin' bad was gonna-!"

In that moment, Penelope suddenly rose up, flapping her feathers in the air.

And with those feathers, one floated down.

Down, down, down, ever so gracefully.

Grumpy saw the tiny feather.

And his heart stopped right there.

He KNEW what was going to happen.

Sneezy was much too preoccupied to see what was happening but he turned.

And the feather landed RIGHT on the tippy tip-tip-tip of his nose.

_*Ding*_

A wave was about to be unleashed.

Grumpy put his hands to the side of his head, a pained look on his face "Yeah, I should have stuck with Happy on this…"

Sneezy felt an itch.

"Ah-!"

He felt a twitch.

"AAAH-!"

He felt-!

_**"**__**CHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"**_

Chickens and feathers went EVERYWHERE, the tiny little coop leveled to the ground! As the dust settled, what should lay in the middle of it but two dwarves.

Sneezy stood in the middle of the mess, one of the hens resting atop his head as the egg basket was still held in his hands.

But if by some miracle from above.

Not a SINGLE egg was broken.

"Ah, that was a lucky break!" he smiled, looking down at the cache of eggs before him.

"Urgh! SNEEZY!"

The young dwarf gasped, seeing that Grumpy was stuck head first in the rubble, his legs kicking about furiously.

"O-oh, wait! I gotcha!" said Sneezy. He placed the basket of eggs on a beam and ran back towards his trapped friend, reaching down and PULLING Grumpy as best he could.

"Errugh! C'MON!"

Wow, Grumpy was REALLY stuck!

After so much pulling, Grumpy finally came free but at the same time, Sneezy found himself falling back…

And that's when it happened.

Sneezy tumbled back onto a board, the very same board he had left the basket of eggs upon. The beam LAUNCHED the eggs into the air and-!

And…

_**SPLAT.**_

Onto Grumpy the landed.

Sneezy was horrified at what he saw, rushing over to the older dwarf with clean hanky in hand.

"Oh! I am SO sorry, Grumpster!" Sneezy said in panic, wiping eggs off the dwarf's clothing as best he could "I-It was just an ACCIDENT! Ya know I would NEVER throws eggs at ya on pur-!"

Grumpy held out a hand, Sneezy going silent.

"It's not your fault, kid…"

The other dwarf sniffed back, a little surprised "Its…its not?"

"Naaah…" Grumpy sighed, standing up on his feet, eggs dripping everywhere "If anything, this is MY fault. I should have known somethin' like this would happen but, hey. I guess I was too foolish ta think I could avoid it."

Sneezy might have been young but he was no fool; he could sense the back-handed comment in Grumpy's words.

And it was those words that stung the little fellow in the heart.

What other way could Grumpy say 'Sneezy, you're too clumsy. Keep away.'?

"W-wait…" Sneezy shook "I-I was just wanted ta…"

"Just…" Grumpy waved a hand "Just go clean yourself up. I don't want the others ta think I had ya running around all day gettin' dirty."

"B-but what about you?"

Grumpy frowned, biting his tongue "Sneezy. Just take a break, OKAY?"

The dwarf nodded, walking back but once more.

"Ah-!"

_"__Not again…"_

"AH-! AH-_**CHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"**_

Not only did Sneezy manage to launch himself away from the scene, he managed to BLOW all of Grumpy's clothing off, save for his red underwear of course. The dwarf looked down and groaned.

"Well, that could have gone worse."

Without another word, Susie flew atop Grumpy's head….

And laid another egg on his face.


	3. Miscast

Chapter Three – Miscast

"What do you MEAN you're out of cockatrice soup?!" Hildy screamed, slamming her fist on the counter "My husband is SICK and you don't have the very thing he needs?! It's not like that soup is hard to come by!"

"S-Sorry ma'am…" shivered the ogre salesman "They're having a strike over at the cockatrice factory! Too many workers were turned into stone so they all went out ta picket…"

Hildy slapped her forehead "This is great! Just great! We don't have any at home and with Grim the way that he is now, he'll be even WORSE without it!"

"Ma'am, may I suggest Leech Noodle Soup? It's very good for the blood."

The witch said nothing, storming out of the store and slamming the door, the entire building shaking.

"Oh, my poor Grimmy-Grim-Grim!" the woman sighed as she hopped on her broom "No soup which means more sneezing and MORE spells in our home! If this is how things are going to go, I don't know how long we're going to last!"

An hour, perhaps less?

With the way Grim was sneezing….

Of course, that would have been true….had he been home.

* * *

Grim coughed horribly as he rode his broom through the air and as his fever became worse, his flying was not as stable. His eyes were starting to gloss over and his hands were shaking.

But still, he could not let Hildy down! He had to show her that even sick, he could be helpful to her.

"A-Almost there!" the man coughed, his broom dipping dangerously close to the ground "When I find those D, I'll make sure to gift wrap the lot of them for my honey-hat-witch! Oh, maybe she'll turn into a CAT and-!"

More coughs. More sneezes. More ache and pains.

Grim was in NO condition to cast ANYTHING and yet he continued to fly. He put his hand to his head, feeling dizzy and sleepy.

"I-I should hurry up…" he moaned "Hildy will be home soon and she won't like that I left without leaving a note!"

His broom sputtered and shook but he kept going on, determined to find any of the dwarves.

And as luck would have it…..

"Darn it…I was trying so *SNNRK!* hard…" sniffed Sneezy, the poor little man walking through the woods alone, much too disappointed with himself to even go back to the cottage. He had made Grumpy upset and even though he knew the man had less than a sunny disposition on things, it still didn't mean he liked to leave his fellow D in a foul mood.

Grumpy was his FRIEND. He liked to make his friend happy and to hear such words of dejection?

Well, Sneezy felt as low as toad-wart in a smelly bog.

"Maybe I should just let him cool down…." He moaned, sitting on a log "H-He doesn't stay mad THAT long so-!"

An itch.

"S-s-so-!"

A twitch?

"AH-CHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Darn day lilies, they always did a work on his allergies.

The dwarf blew into his hanky, feeling even worse "Oh, forget it!"

"Ah-HA!" laughed Grim, looking through the canopy of the forest "There's one of those runts right now!"

More coughing came from Grim's mouth but the man knew he was on a mission! He had to capture that dwarf! Sneezy was much too upset with himself to even notice the wizard dive-bombing near him and just when it seemed like he was about to get scooped up…

"Oh, hello birds!" the dwarf said, tiny sparrows flying by "At least YOU'RE not mad at meh-!"

Why did it ALWAYS have to be feathers?

"AH-!"

Grim was coming in fast!

"AH!"

So close, so close!

_**"**__**CHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"**_

But as usual, he was so far.

Just as Sneezy let loose a hurricane force sneeze, he blew himself back and AWAY from the wizard, Grim a second off as he went CAREENING into a bush! There was a great CRASH but Sneezy was too busy wiping his nose to notice, blinking his eyes for a moment or two.

"Oh, did I miss somethin'?"

Grim twitched as he lay in the bush, a great deal of injuries to accompany the pain he already had from his fever.

_"__T-that lil guy has got a good set-a lungs!"_

Sneezy heard the voice from behind him, yelping in shock as he turned and saw the long pair of legs sticking from the bushes.

"Uh-oh! D-Did I hurt someone else?!"

What luck; first GRUMPY was caught in his nasal blast and now someone else? Sneezy was a hazard to EVERYONE'S health apparently! The dwarf darted over to the crash-sight, ready to help whoever he had brought down.

"Hold on, sir! Ma'am! Whatever! I'll have ya out in a ji-!"

"Urgh, my head!" Grim moaned as he sat up, sticks and leaves in his hair.

If anyone thought that Sneezy's sneezes were loud, they should have heard his SCREAM when Grim popped up.

"THE GLOOMS!" the dwarf gasped!

THE Glooms? Why was there only ONE?

"I mean…_**A**_ Gloom!"

Grim sniffed back loudly, standing over the dwarf "That's right!"

Both men stood still, Sneezy looking increasingly nervous.

Which dwarf was this again? They all had stupid names.

"That's right! W-w-whatever your name is!" the wizard corrected himself. He then laughed hoarsely, thunder booming and lightening crashing behind him "You thought you could *snrk!* get me by movin' round like some ninja dwarf? Ha-HAHA! Sorry, shorty but I got cha now!"

Sneezy was shaking in his shoes. He felt so much safer taking on the Glooms when he was with his buddies, but by himself?

By himself, he was up against a larger foe. One with MAGICAL POWERS no less!

But he had to remain calm, he had to remain brave! The little man sniffed back again, frowning up at Grim.

"W-what are ya doin' here?! An' where's your wife? Too busy throwing a tantrum?"

Low blow, Sneeze-Man.

Grim scoffed, taking out his magic wand "YOU'LL be seein' Hildy soon enough you big-nosed flea!"

Now, THAT was rude! How could Grim insult HIS features? Didn't he have a mirror of his own?

The little man put his fists up, hoping that Grim would feel some intimidation if he tried to fight but as Sneezy got a better look at Grim for himself, he noticed that even the wizard didn't look ready for a fight.

In fact, he looked…SICK.

VERY sick.

"Um, are ya okay?" taking a step or two back and hoping that whatever Grim had wasn't contagious.

The wizard sneered but his face dropped. A little choked cough rattled in his throat, putting a finger up "G-Gimmie a second!"

The man turned, coughing and sneezing up a great deal. Sneezy winced; man, that sounded HORRIBLE. Just what was Grim doing out if he were in THAT bad of a condition?

"Um, p-perhaps I can offer ya some honey tea?"

_"__N-nope!"_ Grim hacked, putting up a thumbs up _"I-I'm cool!"_

Grim felt as if he was going to pass out right then and there but he had one of the dwarves in his clutches! He couldn't let him get away now! Grim returned to his feet though it was clear from the sight that he was wobbling to and fro.

"O-Okay, STICKY!"

"Sneezy."

"Beezy! Let's get this over with!"

Sneezy growled in the face of evil!

_A silly, little cute growl but a growl nonetheless._

"Bring it on, WITCH BOY!"

"Oh, okay!" Grim laughed, zapping some of the vines behind Sneezy "Zaaaaaaaa-_**AP!**_"

Just like magic, wizard and witch magic of course, the once friendly looking vines that had rested behind Sneezy quickly transformed into strong, tight and most importantly MEAN creepers! They strung the little dwarf into their hold, Sneezy kicking his feet in the air as he shouted and fought for his life!

"Urgh, let GO!"

"Not just yeeeet!" Grim teased, spinning his wand "Just lemme put this spell on ya first and THEN I can let ya go. SO I CAN GET THE OTHERS!"

Oh no! Not only was Sneezy caught, Grim was just itching to get his hands on the others once he was done! Sneezy knew he couldn't let that happen but in his caught state, what could he possibly do?

He could IMPROVISE, of course!

The clouds grew dark and swirled overhead, the wind howling and roaring as Grim charged up his wand.

_Magic wand, without fail._

_What has big ears, and a long, long tail?_

"YES!" Sneezy suddenly said "What DOES have big ears and a long tail? Hmm, an elephant? No, their tails are SHORT! Some DOGS have big ears and long tails!"

Confusing the subject; that always worked. And considering how spacy Grim was….

"Hmmmm…." The wizard though, caught up in the dwarf's question "Well, lots of *hack!* things have big ears. My Uncle Walt had big ears, and so did his brother Roy!"

Sneezy began to pull the vines binding his feet. After a few moments of struggling, one finally slipped through!

_"__Yes!_" he whispered to himself, quickly going back to Grim "Wow, really! HOW BIG WERE THEY?"

Grim began to feel dizzy again, laughing goofily as he looked at the dwarf "S-so big that they were almost as goofy lookin' as YOUR ears!"

"Hey!"

Grim blinked, seeing THREE Sneezy-s.

"A-all THREEE of your ears!"

The wizard shook his head, his mind returning to him. What was he talking about? Ears, noses, SPELLS?

SPELLS?

"W-wait, a second!" Grim growled in anger, his face turning red "I see what you're doin' ya lil-!"

Gone.

"Um, did I cast the spell already? Wow, that was fast. I don't think I even FINISHED it!"

* * *

"I-I just hafta hide!" Sneezy panted, running as fast as he could "J-Just gotta make it back to the cottage without-!"

"COME BACK HERE!"

Sneezy looked back in dread to see Grim tearing after him on his broom, screaming at just how angry, and ill, the man looked.

"Oh, torn tissues!" the dwarf said "I can't go back now! I'll lead him home!"

Sneezy knew he had no power against the wizard but he was still sharp enough to trick him. He made a quick turn, jumping into the a low bush with Grim turning after him.

"Don't think ya can-! OOOOOOOW!"

While Sneezy was lucky enough, Grim found that the TALLER bushes were chock full of THORNS.

And did he feel them!

"Ow, ow, OW!" the wizard cried, getting stuck here and there "Why does it always have to be THORN BUSHES! I HATE thorn bushes!"

Down below, Sneezy rolled from his cover, looking up to see that Grim was much too busy to free himself to even notice the dwarf.

"Alright!" Sneezy cheered to himself "M-Maybe now I can-!"

A tickle.

"N-no! N-not naaaaaAH-!"

Sneezy clamped his hands over his nose, eyes watering over.

"P-please! I CAN-T!"

But there's no way to stop a sneeze.

_** "**__**AH-CHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"**_

Sneezy LAUNCHED himself backwards, hitting Grim on the underside of his broom with enough force to free the man from his prickly bounds.

"WHOA! TURBULENCE!"

Sneezy landed rather roughly on the ground, rolling a few times before stopping with a THUD on the back of a tree.

If Grim was suffering from a headache, it was only matched by the one Sneezy now had.

"OW!"

And a sore ankle? The dwarf's luck was getting worse and worse.

Sneezy attempted to hobble away but the pain was too great. He tripped, pulling himself into cover desperately but it was too late. Grim already had him in his sight.

His BAD sights considering how fuzzy his fever-induced vision was now.

"Heh, thought you could get away from ol' Grimwold, did'cha?"

Sneezy let out a pained groan, forcing himself on this feet "H-Hey, ya can't blame a guy for tryin', can ya?"

"Nope, guess not." The wizard smiled "So lemme give ya a reward! A FREE SPELL!"

Once more, the wind began to kick up around the two, Sneezy unable to escape due to his ankle.

"_Oh, I wish I would have stayed to help with the chicken coop!"_

_Stupid dwarf, you tried to fight!_

Leaves began to tickle a nose.

_Finally, I have captured you tonight!_

He could feel it coming.

_With this spell, you little louse!_

And then…

It happened.

Right at that moment, right at that SPLIT SECOND, Sneezy let loose another sneeze and thanks to all the dust and leaves that were around him, it was even stronger than before! Grim was blown off course but the wand was still charged and the spell still in his mind though with the way he was spinning, he was having trouble remembering the lines!

"AH! AAAAAAAAAAH! _Y-You little louse, get as big as a house!"_

Wait, WHAT did he just say?

"N-no! AS SMALL AS A MO-!"

There was a spark, there was a flash and without any more control over his actions-!

*ZAAAAAP!*

Sneezy screamed as he felt the magic coarse throughout his body, the blast powerful enough to knocked him and send him ROLLING back down the hill out of Grim's sight. And the wizard? He had been caught in his own whirlwind, the motions of the spinning making his stomach lurch and his head ache even more.

"Stop, STOP!" he wailed "I'm gonna blow ch-!"

BOOM.

CRASH.

And down went Grim.

Not too far away, a little dwarf sat up, his head spinning and his body a little twitchy.

But he was ALIVE and whole. He gasped, looking down to see if anything were misplaced or funky looking after having been caught in Grim's spell but as far as he could see, he was one hundred percent perfect.

"W-whoa, I'm okay?"

He was FINE.

Save for his sore ankle of course.

"OW!" the dwarf yelped, trying his best to stand up without causing too much pain to himself "Ow, ow…I-I'm sure Doc can help me with-!"

A tickle.

"AH-!"

An itch!

"AH-CHOOOOOOOOOO!"

A tingle?

Rather than finding himself LAUNCHED into the air, Sneezy felt….

ODD.

Very, VERY odd.

"Huh?"

A tingle, that's what he felt. It felt almost like how his foot felt whenever it fell asleep but the tingle wasn't isolated to his foot.

It spread throughout his entire body!

It was weird.

It was strange.

It was…over?

The dwarf blinked and rubbed his eyes. From the looks of things, nothing seemed different. He still had two hands, two arms, two legs.

One sore ankle…

"Huh…guess it was nothin'…" the dwarf sniffled, looking down towards the glen. The cottage wasn't too far away and he knew if he wanted his ankle to stop hurting he had to get back.

Get back to the others.

Get back to Grumpy.

Sneezy sighed. He knew he would have to face his friend sooner or later so what was the point of stalling? Even more, if he continued to stall the pain in his ankle would only get worse.

"Ya gotta be the bigger person in all of this…." The young dwarf said to himself, puffing out his chest as he hobbled back home "Ya gotta-OW! Face your-OW! Mistakes! Ouch…"

The sooner his ankle was treated, the better.

And so Sneezy made his way back to the cottage, unaware that a few yards away someone else was longing for home as well.

Lying in a bush, his clothes torn, hos body aching and cold, was Grimwold Gloom. While he was blown off course from the sneeze, he was lucky enough not to land TOO far from the valley but could anyone say Grim was lucky in the condition he was in? The poor man was chilled right down to the core of his bones, his head hurting like never before and his nose stuffed so badly that he couldn't even BREATHE through it. Burs, sticks and leaves poked and pinched his skin, the cold air chilling him more.

He wanted to go home. He wanted to be back in bed with his loving Hildy.

But his mind was much too frazzled now. He KNEW he wanted comfort but he was so tired and confused, he had no idea where home WAS now. Everything was blurring over, his eyes water.

"Ungh, I wanna go home to my bunny jammies!" he whimpered "A-an some coco an' soup!"

Poor Grim. What could a wayward wizard do, especially if they were sick?

"I wan' HILDY!"


	4. Home

Chapter Four – Home

Hildy clutched her broom as she bolted home, never thinking that she would have stayed out for so long.

"Urgh, blast these shops!" the witch hissed to herself "They never have what you NEED in stock! Not like those FANCY places out in the big kingdoms, oh no! I KNEW we should have moved there like mummy wanted!"

Finally she arrived home, the thought of poor Grim suffering in bed making the witch bolt through the doors as if her feet had wings.

"Honey? Honey?" Hildy called as she rushed up the stairs "I'm sorry lovy-dovy Grimmy bug but they didn't have any Balisk soup."

From her position at the door, the young witch could have sworn her husband was still in bed, the covers fluffed up in such a fashion it looked as if a body were hidden underneath. She moved closer, her smile bright and wide as she prepared to give her love a hug.

"But guess what I got insteeeeead?" she sang, standing on her tip-toes "Warthog stew! Now, I know you don't like the warts but they ARE very good for soothing colds since it contains-!"

Hildy looked at the ingredients on the label, the smiling shaking as her eyes went further down.

"Ah-haha….THINGS. It contains…THINGS!" the women smiled nervously, taking the can and quickly tossing it out the window "Oh, OOPS! Butterfingers! Why don't I just make something a bit more…edible? Does hemlock tea and zom-bee honey sound good, Grimmy-Grim-Gim?"

There was no reply, Hildy turning around towards the lump in the bed.

"Honey? Are you asleep?"

She crept towards the bed, hands reaching out to touch her husband but no sooner than her PALM hit the blankets did they slide off the bed revealing-!

"GRIM!?"

The wizard was gone!

The young witch let out a piercing scream, running furiously around the house and searching everywhere for her love.

In the bathroom?

Nope!

In the closet?

NOPE!

In that little nook in the corner that he always somehow wound up stuck in?

Not at all!

_**"GRIMWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALD!"**_ the woman hollered, the forest shaking at her call but by now the panic she had was gone for she knew EXACTLY what had happened. This was no case of a wizard kidnapping but instead-!

"I can not BELIEVE that pudding-head went out when I SPECIFICALLY told him to stay-!"

"Hey, hey. Cool your jets, babe!" said Ball, a little snicker in his voice "You're gonna make yourself just as sick as your hubby if ya keep that up!"

"YOU!" the woman cried, walking over to the table and taking the orb into her hand "YOU were watching him! HOW COULD YOU LET HIM ESCAPE?!"

"Mmm, I dunno. It might have somethin' ta do with tha fact that I LACK a body!" the Ball said, rolling his eyes, the invisible audience laughing behind him "What? Ya espect me ta hold him down with my teeth? Sorry toots, I can't even bite! SHEESH!"

Hildy turned red in rage, trying with all her might not to SMASH the ball "OOOH! You lousy, indignant-!"

"Is this any way to ask for help?" Ball shot back "With an attitude like that, no wonder Grim decided to fly the coop!"

Hildy had already spent a good portion of her day flying about to make her husband feel better but oh, how things had turned. She was now required to go back out and hunt for HIM. She gave the Crystal Ball a stern look, slamming it back down onto the table.

"Now…I'm SURE that you heard something, Ball."

"A-ah, maybe I did."

"I am CERTAIN you did." The woman smiled but it was the smile of a snake and it quickly faded into a frown "And I am CERTAIN that you would LOVE to tell me where Grim went or so help me I will THROW YOU IN THE TOILET!"

As if the wise-cracking item couldn't turn any more green.

"Fine, fine! I'll try to get a location on him!"

After a few moments of glowing and humming, the face returned.

"Well, whaddya know! Seems like your hubby isn't too far!"

"Oh thank GOODNESS! Just hurry up and give me the location before he can cause any trouble!"

"Sorry, the trees are jammin' my signal! Ya know how it is out here in the boonies! Try ta get a connection an'-!"

"Baaaall….." the woman purred, pointing to the bathroom "TOILET?"

"GAH! Out due-East from here, somewhere in the great forest!"

"Near the…that's by the seven D's place!" Hildy gasped "Ooooh, those little trolls BETTER not put a hand on my husband or-!"

"Or what? They'll put him in better care than you?" chuckled Ball "From what I've heard, those lil guys actually have a GREAT health plan. Guess they have some sort of dwarf union or somethin'! Grim might be back up on his feet right now! Those lil guys! They always have somethin' up their sleeves."

Hildy put her face in her palm, feeling the effects of a massive headache coming on.

"Thank you, Crystal Ball." The woman said through a forced smile "I don't know WHERE I would be without your guidance!"

"'Eeeeey, its what I do, babe!"

"Before I leave, may I ask one more question?"

"Hehe, is it multiple choice? It won't require me to write an essay will it?"

"Oh, of course not!" the woman smiled as she got her broom and prepared to leave "It's simple! Is it possible for glass to float?"

Ball arched a brow "Well, dependin' on how its shaped an' formed, it'-!"

Ball stopped once the true nature of the question became clear, his green glow fading as he cowered in fear at Hildy, her wand raised in the air.

"WAIT! WHAT ARE YA DOIN'?! YA SAID YA WOULDN'T-!"

*ZAP!*

Splash.

"Well…" Hildy smiled as she took off "I guess that answers MY question."

* * *

"C'mon, fellas. It's about time supper was put out!" grumbled Grumpy, though a smile did peek through as he looked at the spread "After workin' so hard to rebuild the chicken coop, I could use a good meal!"

"Ah, ah, AH!:" smiled Happy, smacking Grumpy's hands away from the dinner plates "We're still missin' ONE! Can't dig in til we're all here!"

"What!?" Grumpy GRUMPED as only a grumpy dwarf could do"Who's missin'?"

"A-ah, I-I think Sneezy hasn't come back yet." Bashful meeped as his head poked out of a barrel, not wanting to make Grumpy anymore grouchy than he already was but to his surprise, there was a sudden turn in Grumpy's face.

He looked CONCERNED?

It had to be a fluke!

"Ya mean he didn't come back?" Grumpy asked, looking around.

"No." said Doc, the arms of his hat placing a plate onto the table "Wasn't he with you all day?"

Grumpy looked a little nervous as he turned towards the bespectacled dwarf "Y-Yeah. I mean-! H-he was with me but we had a lil incident at the coop so…."

"So?" Sleepy yawned, stretching his arms "What happened?"

"Aw man, tha poor kid." Grumpy muttered to himself, looking out the window. The sky was starting to get darker and the first stars began to twinkle in the sky "Urgh, I knew I shouldn't have let him go into tha woods alone!"

Happy looked over, his ever-present smile still glowing "'Scuse me, but what was that? Ya were worried about someone bein' alone out there, just when it's gettin' really DARK an' really SCARY?"

Grumpy paled, the very thoughts making him quiver in his pointed shoes "Haaaaaaappy, what did we tell ya 'bout TOO descriptive with your stories?"

"I mean, I usually _**LOOOOOVE**_ dark nights like this!" Happy continued, his mind just as flighty as ever "But it IS better ta enjoy them INSIDE where ya don't have ta worry about BEARS, WOLVES, WILD BOARS, MOUNTAIN LIONS an' twenty-five foot wooly cave frogs with retractable claws and poison warts!"

"Okay, I'm pretty sure ya made that last one up…" Grumpy huffed "But yeah, this isn't a night fit for man nor dwarf!"

Dinner looked tempting but one of the D's lives was much more important! Grumpy jumped to his feet and rushes towards the door.

"Hold on, Grumpy. Where are you going?" asked Doc.

"Save me a plate, fellas! I gotta find Sneezy before someone else do-!"

Just as soon as Grumpy was mere INCHES from the door, what should happen?

_***WA-BAM!***_

"GAAAAH!"

The door flew open, the grumpy dwarf finding himself smashed between it and the wall.

"Hey guys!" Sneezy said as he waved towards the others "I'm-*snff!* back!"

"Sneezy!" cried the others, much a joy that their friend had made it back home.

"_U-Urf!"_ Grumpy groaned, his hands twitching in pain "S-so! Glad! _Paaaain…."_

"That's RIGHT!" Happy grinned "Grumpy was just saying he was about to go out looking for you but thank GOODNESS you came home before something happened!"

If only Grumpy could reach Happy. IF ONLY.

"Well, something DID happen guys." Sneezy moaned, looking down at his injured ankle "I had a lil run in with Grim!"

"A GLOOM?!" Bashful gasped "You're okay, right?! He didn't do anything to ya?!"

"He tried to cast a spell on me but before he could, I was able to run away…just not before I hurt my ankle."

Doc looked down at Sneezy's leg with his magnifying glass "Hmm, seems to be a simple ligament tear but considering how long you've been out without proper care, we need to get this taken care of immediately!"

"Whatever you say, Doc!" Sneezy nodded and smiled, not catching a WORD of what Doc had said.

He carefully limped on the sore ankle, finding that he could move with some ease now that he was at home.

"Ah, it actually might not be as bad as I thought, Doc. Just a lil-!"

*BONK!*

"OW!"

"Oh, are you alright?" asked Bashful as he darted out to catch Sneezy before he fell.

A twisted ankle AND a sore head? What else could happen?

"Geeze, what was that?" the sneezy dwarf asked himself as he reached up and placed a hand atop his head "I never hit the doorway like that."

The door slowly moved forward, Grumpy finally falling to his face just out of reach from the others, a hand painfully held in the air.

"_A-ark, me neither…."_

Dopey and Bashful helped Sneezy towards a chair, Doc and his hat getting right to work on patching his friend up.

"Just needs a little ice and a little elevation. Heh, you should be right as rain in no time!"

"That's good!" Sneezy said in relief "I wanna be up ta my best to help Grumpy finish the chicken coop!"

The aforementioned dwarf staggered near, a hand held on his sore eye "F-forget about it, Sneeze-man. After all, Doc might be against ya working on a busted ankle."

"But Grumpy!" Sneezy said as he looked at his friend, the most pathetic look on his face "I already messed up big time before. Don't ya want me ta help ya?"

The way Sneezy was looking at him! It was too much!

Big, tear-filled eyes.

Quivering lips.

Why did Sneezy always have to play that card?

Grumpy moaned; he was already filled with so much guilt over how he had reacted to Sneezy earlier in the day and he was kicking himself even harder as he blamed himself for the young dwarf's Gloom run in and injury. But besides that he knew that Sneezy meant well, he had ALWAYS meant well even if things could get a little….

SNEEZY.

"Ah, fine." Grumpy sighed as he gave up the fight, sitting down and getting himself ready for dinner "But be prepared ta get up early. Tha sooner we get this done, tha less troubles we'll have chasin' those chickens around!"

Sneezy saluted his elder dwarf, knowing this time around things were going to go on without a hitch.

"Aye-Aye, Grumpster!"

Grumpy's eyes slid over to his friend, "Don't call me that."

Dinner went on happily, the seven dwarfs feeling much safer in their house but they were unaware that two unknown guests were lurking about.

In all actuality, even the 'guest' were aware how close they were to each other, one crawling about on the ground while the other flew overhead, both their minds filled with worry.

"Ooooh, Ball said Grim was here." Hildy murmured to herself in worry "But there isn't a single sign of him!"

She shined a light upon the ground in hopes of seeing ANYTHING but alas, the absentminded wizard was nowhere to be found.

"I HAVE to keep looking." Hildy moaned in worry, the only thing in her mind being that of her husband's well-being "He couldn't have gone too far on his own."

Grim wasn't at all too far but thanks to the darkness of the night and the thick trees and bush, Hildy did not notice the man sleeping in a thicket, a few rabbits looking at him curiously.

_"Urgh, but Hildy…._" Grim moaned, his sickness still affecting him _"Warthog stew is gross too!"_

Grim looked even worse than before, the chill of the night only adding to the list of symptoms he was feeling. The rabbits whimpered in worry before him, the leader of the bunch chittering away to the other in their rabbity language. The smaller ones gave a nod before lopping off at great speed, only to return pulling what appeared to be a carpet-like formation of moss.

Soft, WARM moss.

They placed the blanket on the shivering warlock while two more lifted his head to the best of their abilities to lay a small bush under his head as a pillow. Little by little, Grim stopped shaking, the warmth of the moss covering him and what was once a worried frown formed into a smile.

"Yes, Hildy…." The man babbled in his sleep "This blanket IIIIIS so warm….but why does it smell like grass?"

Woodland creatures always had kindness to share, even to wizards.

Soon it was bed time for the dwarves, each one going through the routine of preparing for sleep.

"Remember, bright an' early." Grumpy pointed over at Sneezy, the other dwarf nodding his head happily "We won't have time ta dawdle an' besides that, your 'allergies' won't act up quite as much before noon!"

"Hah, ya won't hafta worry about a thing!" Sneezy said happily "We'll get that coop done in-!"

A tickle.

Ah…

An itch!

AH-!

"Aw no, not now!" Grumpy begged "It's too late ta deal with-!"

_**CHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-!**_

And with that, Grumpy was BLOWN not only out of his bed but the HOUSE as well, the others safely buckled in thanks to Doc's new invention.

"Heh, I knew that these new beddie-bye buckles would come in handy for such an occasion!"

"Yeah, but what about Grumpy's?" Sleepy pointed out.

"Hmmm, I always thought the trigger on his was a lil janky."

Sneezy looked in worry at the Grumpy-shaped hole that remained in the wall, quickly getting out of the bed to go and look for his missing frined.

"Better find him soon! Wouldn't want Grumpy to miss his sleep!"

*BONK!*

"Ow!"

Once more Sneezy had hit his head on the doorframe but this time around the dwarf took notice that it looked that the door had been lowered greatly considering he had to duck a bit to get out.

"Gotta tell Doc ta do somethin' about tha door. It feels like its sinkin' in tha ground."

*BA-WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!*

**_YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUGHR!_**

"Oh! I think some wolves found Grumpy before **_I_** did!"


	5. Through the Roof

Chapter Five- Through the Roof

Luckily for Grumpy, the wolf who was after him wasn't too upset that he had landed upon him and both he and Sneezy had gotten enough sleep to prepare for their day's work.

"Now…" the older dwarf said in caution "If ya hafta sneeze, just try ta aim it somewhere so this coop doesn't get knocked down."

Sneezy nodded, his smile bright "Will do! 'Sides, tha air is so clear today! I don't think we'll have to worry too much!"

Grumpy held his tongue; the kid just wanted to help out, that's all.

"Okay, hand me tha hammer."

"Hammer!" Sneezy said he handed Grumpy the tool. A few planks of wood went into place, the first part of the foundation up.

"Chicken wire."

"But Grumpy!" Sneezy joked "Chickens don't have WIRE! They have FEATHERS!"

"Well, looks like someone should change their name to JOKEY." Grumpy said in a huff "But really, I need some chicken wire."

"Hmm, I don't see any."

"Ya mean I left it back in tha shed?" Grumpy said in surprised, not the one to just leave things behind "Man, I knew I was rushin but-!"

Grumpy took one look at his friend, shaking his head.

"Eh, c'mon. I know its somewhere in that mess of a shed an' two set of eyes will find it faster than one!"

The two dwarves walked over to the shed but as soon as Sneezy tried to enter.

*BONK!*

He hit his head AGAIN?

"Watch it." Grumpy turned, Sneezy rubbing his head and hoping that a bruise wouldn't form.

"_C-C'mon, Sneezy…" _the young dwarf whispered to himself nervously _"Stop bein' so clumsy, stop bein' so clumsy."_

"I'm surprised we can find ANYTHIN' in here." Grumpy mumbled as he looked around the mess of a shed "We pack so much junk in here, it'll take us days to sort through it all!"

"Wait, I think I see it." Sneezy said brightly, Grumpy turning around.

"Ya do?"

"Yeah, its right there! Top shelf!"

"Great, I'll get tha step-ladder an-!"

"No need!" Sneezy piped brightly as he reached up on his tip-toes and got the wire roll with ease "Heh, you were right, Grumpster! Two sets of eyes are better than one!"

Grumpy said nothing, looking down at the step-ladder for a moment but then back at his friend.

Something…was off.

VERY off!

"Ya okay?" Sneezy said, looking none-the-wiser to anything. The older dwarf slowly pushed the step-ladder to the side.

"Er, no. I mean, yeah! I'm fine! N-nothin' ta worry about at all!"

"Okay, then let's finish that chicken-!"

*BONK!*

AND ONCE AGAIN….

Sneezy ducked again, getting a little pestered by always coming into contact with doors.

Maybe it WAS bad luck.

"Coop…._ow."_

From Grumpy's point of view Sneezy didn't look any different than he normally did. Same striped shirt, same hanky, same hat and feather. He was NORMAL.

NORMAL!

"Man, it's gotta be from all that runnin' I did with those wolves last night…" the grumpy dwarf said, feeling a touch uneasy though he continued on.

* * *

"Where could he be, where could he BE?!"

Hildy was nibbling on her nails as she thought on and on about the whereabouts of her husband. She had nearly stayed up the entire night searching for him but still not a trace could be found.

"Oh, Grimmy-Grim-Grim! Where are you?!" she sobbed, her heart aching "Please, I hope that nothing horrid has happened to you!"

The tears stopped, replaced by thunder and ANGER.

"Because once I find the toads who have taken you _**I WILL RIP THEM LIMB FROM LIMB! NO ONE MESSES WITH MY HUGGY-BEAR AND LIVES TO TELL THE TALE!"**_

"Okay, just cut the wire right here." Said a voice.

"Like this?" said another.

"Yeah, that's it."

Hildy ducked between two large pines, seeing that she was much closer to the 7Ds' home than she thought, Grumpy and Sneezy the first two to catch her sight. Her witch-blood began to boil inside of her as she saw the two and the structure they were building.

"What in Jollywood are those two little warts making?"

"Once this is done, it'll hold 'im!" said Sneezy.

"Yup! Nothin' will be able ta get outta this!"

Of course, the two dwarves were talking about their coop and their chickens respectively but to Hildy's eyes and ears….

"Is…is that some sort of cage?!" she gasped in horror "Are they planning to-?!"

The worst of the WORSE flashed through the witch's mind, images of her sick and tired Grim being shoved into such a barbaric cage and at the mercy of those horrid dwarves. She growled, fire and brimstone shooting from her fingertips as her thirst for revenge grew!

"I KNEW those twerps had taken Grim!" she hissed, grabbing her wand "BUT NOW I'M TAKING HIM BACK!"

Down like a bomb she flew towards the home of the 7D!

Sneezy and Grumpy were just about to put the final touches on the chicken coop, neither the wiser of what was headed towards them.

"Heh, looks pretty good Sneeze-man." Grumpy said with pride, a smile forming on his face "I don't think I would have been able ta make somethin' this good without ya!"

Sneezy had never looked happier, a great big smile beaming on his face.

"Thanks Grumpy! I'm just glad ya gave me a second chance!"

"Yeah….about that." The older dwarf said, feeling a little embarrassed "What I said yesterday? Tha way I reacted? I wanted ta apologize for that."

"Why?" smiled Sneezy "I understood why ya were upset. Sometimes my sneezes can….get a lil outta control I guess."

"But I shouldn't have chased ya off like that, sneeze or no sneeze." Grumpy continued "When I heard ya got in trouble with one of tha Glooms? Seriously, no chicken coop is worth gettin' into THAT much trouble over."

"You mean like THIS trouble, TWERPS?!"

The two dwarves gasped as they turned, Hildy dive-bombing towards them at great speed!

"HILDY!" screamed Sneezy but before he could think, Grumpy pushed him out of the way.

" Run, Sneeze-Man! RUN!"

"I-I'll try!" Sneezy stammered, remembering that his ankle was still a might battered from the previous night and just as he feared, he took a misstep and tripped, hurting himself again "OW!"

"Gotcha!" Hildy hissed, her wand pointed and ready to lay destruction upon everyone around "TELL ME WHERE GRIMWOLD IS OR I'LL-!"

*SPLAT!*

"KIYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Hildy was cut off as a mass of eggs were thrown right in her face, Grumpy holding even more in his arms.

"Watch where ya aim that thing, lady! Someone could get hurt!"

The witch tumbled about on her broom, unable to see much as her face was covered in yolk and shells.

"RRRRRGH! Nasty little-! Hairy-! MAN THING!" she growled "Maybe YOU would like to be an EGG!"

The wand was pointed, a large zap shooting out of it but Grumpy ducked just in time, the rock he hid behind transforming into a giant egg.

"Whoa. Ya know, ya could do a lot more ta help people if ya used that thing for GOOD, ya know?"

"TELL ME WHERE GRIMWOLD IS!"

"We don't know where Grim is, lady!" Grumpy shouted in anger.

"Oh, don't lie to me!" Hildy said as she landed on the ground, wiping the remains of eggs and shells out of her hair "I go out yesterday only to find my husband gone and a trail leading here! Who else could have taken him but YOU!?"

"Listen, I'm sure there are PLENTY of place ol' Grim could have wandered off to." Grumpy huffed, refusing to stand down before the much taller witch "But ya gotta lotta nerve showin' up here an' attackin' US for nothin'! Grim already hurt Sneezy yesterday, can't ya guys leave us alone?!"

"Oh-HO! SO he was here!" Hildy sneered "Your lies finally do you in and this time-!"

*BUCK-BUCK-BUCKAAAAAAW!*

Much to Hildy's disgust, MORE eggs flew from the sky and landed atop her, the witch falling to the ground in a scream as Susie the chicken led the charge with the other hens to protect their owners.

"YUCK! EW! YUUUUCK!"Hildy brayed in disgust "All slimy and gooey and GROOOOOOOOOOSS!"

The onslaught of chickens surrounded the witch and slathered her with even more feathers and eggs but in their attempts to let the dwarves get free, the fowls might have gone a bit overboard in their actions. Hidy was so scared by the attack that the witch was waving her wand every whichway, the thing zapping powerful bolts of magic EVERYWHERE!

It shot another rock, making it explode!

It shot a tree, setting it on fire!

It shot the CHICKEN COOP!

_***BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!***_

And then there was nothing.

"No!" Grumpy wailed, falling on his knees and crying to the heavens above _**"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"**_

"C-C'mon Grumpy!" Sneezy said as he took ahold of Grumpy's collar and pulled him away "Let's get outta here!"

With another large blast, Hildy finally managed to get the chickens off of her but she wasn't out yet.

Not in the least.

"I will make those shrimps PAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!"

Sneezy and Grumpy ran, or in Sneezy'a case LIMPED, back to the house, Grumpy slamming the door behind him.

"GUYS!"

"What is it?" asked Doc.

"IT'S A CODE W! CODE W!"

"Which code is THAT again?" Sleepy yawned.

As if to answer his question, a massive blast of magic SHOT through a nearby window and vaporized his hat to dust. Undeterred, the dwarf turned to the others and simply walked into a hiding place.

"Ah. Right. Angry Witch."

Another blast shot through the window, the dwarves all scrambling to find a place of protection.

"She's gonna blow the entire house down!" wailed Bashful, jumping into a barrel "What are we gonna do Doc?!"

The wise dwarf thought for a moment, more blast shooting around him.

"_**TELL ME WERE GRIM IS OR I'LL HAVE YOUR BEARDS!"**_

Doc snapped his fingers as a hand came from his hat, pushing and pulling a few levers on the wall.

"Hang on to your hats, fellas!"

Gears clanked, pulleys…PULLED! There was an invention coming!

Outside Hildy was stamping her feet so hard on the ground that she was making it quake "You want me to get TOUGH, eh?! Then take this!"

Another powerful blast came from the witch's wand but this time a MIRROR came from a well-hidden slot in the ground, bouncing the ray off its reflective surface and back at Hildy-!

"_**GWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUGH!"**_

Who was promptly fried where she stood, coughing up a large billow of smoke.

"_I really, REALLY hate that house…."_

Grumpy peaked out the window, gulping when he saw that despite it all Hildy was still standing.

"Got anymore tricks up your sleeve, er HAT Doc?"

"Well, I could always spring for plan-"

A massive clap of thunder shook the entire house, the dwarves crying out as the sky went pitch black.

"Do I even wanna KNOW what that was?" mumbled Grumpy, a hand on his pot. Dopey whistled about frantically, his huge sleeves billowing in the air as he motioned towards Hildy.

Hildy had had enough; her husband was somewhere missing and sick, she was covered in eggs and feathers, her hair had been fried to a crisp and there was NO WAY she was going to let the 7D of all people beat her in the end!

Not this time anyway.

"I have had enough of your tricks you seven little GOBLINS!"

"DWARVES! DWARVES!" Sneezy shouted from the window "There is a difference ya know!"

Dopey whistled in agreement, mirroring the anger of his friend….that was until another bolt shot towards them, the two dwarves tumbling far back into the house and hitting a wall hard.

"OW!" cried Sneezy, Dopey falling right in front of him so the end of his hat drifted in front of his nose.

And everyone knew what that meant.

Dopey jumped out of the way once he heard Sneezy begin his waves of sniffles before the oncoming sneeze. Again, there was an itch, a twich and-!

*HA-CHOO!*

And up went Sneezy!

Wait a moment.

UP?

"Buh?" Sneezy managed to sniffle out as he looked around, noticing that Dopey looked a tad…different from his point of view.

"Oh my GOSH!" Sneezy gasped, his hands going to the side of his head "…..Did Hildy get ya with a spell, Dopey?"

Dopey, as usual, said nothing, his eyes looking up at Sneezy.

"A-Ah-!" Sneezy sniffled again "I-I-! *snark!* Think Hildy's magic is startin' to affect-! A-A-AFFECT!"

Dopey knew it was best to prepare for this.

*HA-CHOO!*

And again it happened!

Sneezy sneezed once again, his form bumping up that he not only hit his head on the lower cupboard, he went THROUGH the lower cupboard!

"Ah!" cried the less-than-dwarf-sized-dwarf, feeling around for the handle of the cupboard "We really need ta clean this thing out more often! There are cobwebs EVERYWHERE!"

Dopey reacted to such a sight as anyone would….by climbing up on the counter and opening the cupboard door to let Sneezy see.

"Ah, thanks Dopey."

When a witch is attacking you, sometimes other things don't seem as SHOCKING.

As for Hildy, she was ready to rain her power upon the 7D, the perfect spell brewing in her mind.

"I know those little gem-hoarders have my sweetie-nums…." The witch growled "But if they are that content in playing like this, I'll make this game a LOT more fun! FOR _**ME!"**_

She whirled her wand in the air, clouds forming around.

Trees so grand and tall around me,

Listen to my command!  
See the 7Ds' cottage? Crush is FLAT!

Till not a trace of them is left on this land!

The group huddled in fright as they watched the witch shoot off a beam towards some of the trees near the house. The ground shook powerfully, the limbs of the mighty trees forming into ARMS and HANDS! They pulled themselves out of the ground, stomping towards the house and taking it from all sides!

"Oh no!" cried Doc "EVERYONE HANG ON!"

The tree soldiers began to shake and jostle the house, the dwarves feeling like beans in a rattle as they rolled this way and that! Poor Sneezy though, he was still stuck in the cupboard and unable to get out but that didn't mean was free from the shaking.

"Yaugh! Is that an EARTHQUAKE?!" the dwarf cried, catching as many dishes as he could with his hands.

"Do ya think a song will soothe the savage beasties?" Happy smiled, rolling about on a chair, his guitar in hand.

"THIS ISN'T THA TIME!" Grumpy howled "We gotta-!"

The trees gave the house another violent push, Grumpy flying backwards and landing right next to Sneezy's side.

"Gah! Those trees must be rotten or somethin'! It's tha only thing ta explain their mood!"

"Anythin' can turn rotten when a *snrk!* Gloom gets to 'em!" Sneezy said in agreement. Grumpy looked up, not expecting a thing.

"Ya got that r-!"

STOP.

PAUSE.

LOOK UP.

Grumpy frozen in place, his eyes going down to pin-points as he slowly turned and looked up, UP, UP!

THERE WAS SNEEZY TOWERING OVER HIM!

And acting as if there was nothing at all odd about being stuck in a cupboard or standing several heads taller than his friend.

"I got WHAT?" blinked Sneezy.

"_**GWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAURGH!"**_

"AAAH! AAAAAH!"" flailed the stuck dwarf "Is somethin' else wrong?! Don't tell me Hildy sent out BUSH monsters too!"

"DOOOOOOOC!"

"What is it Grunp-OOOF!"

Grumpy plowed into Doc, stammering gibberish as he turned his head back to Sneezy.

"Hommana, HOMMANA! LOOK!"

The dwarves all turned, their focus not on the trees attacking them on the outside but the oddity that was with them inside!

"Good glittering gems!" gasped Doc "What happened to Sneezy?!"

In that moment, Sneezy was much too busy attempting to free himself to pay the others any mind, his hands pressing hard upon the bottom of the cupboard but he was stuck fast.

"Eurgh, why can't I get out?"

He tugged and tugged and FINALLY he managed to POP out but in doing so, he tumbled BACKWARDS, rolling, rolling, ROLLING towards the others.

"Seven Dwarf SPLIT!" Doc cried as the group jumped out of the way just in time to avoid the high-speed ball of a dwarf. Sneezy CRASHED onto the opposite wall, dizzy but in one piece despite everything that had happened.

"Oof…" he moaned, feeling dizzy for a moment "H-Hey guys, what's goin' on?"

Grumpy peered over at Dopey "….Did he REALLY just ask that?"

A thundering crash hit the house, the dwarves all piling against Sneezy for protection, looking up to see one of the limbs of the trees reaching in for them.

"_**FLOOM!**_" Bashful wailed, pulling his hat down even further "They're going to make US into splinters!"

"An' that won't be pleasant to pull out, AT ALL!" added in Happy.

Dopey went in for the attack, yipping and barking like a dog before giving one of the woody hands a powerful bite! The tree-monster screeched and shook its hand before tossing Dopey back and pulling its hand out.

"WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?!" Hildy screeched, watching one of her monster retreat, waving its nipped finger in the air "You're going to allow them to escape!"

The tree-monster turned towards its mater and shrugged its shoulder, not knowing what to do in the situation. Unimpressed Hildy waved her wand in the air once more….

And made a massive CHAINSAW appear.

"Perhaps THIS should persuade you?"

The blades of the magical-tool whirled, the added touch of rusty creaking only making the bark of the monster curl in fear….and it got right back to tearing the house down.

"Yes! YES!" laughed the witch manically "If those dwarves aren't going to SHOW me were Grim is, I guess we'll just have to tear the place down and search for ourselves!"

The trees continued to shake the dwarves inside their house but considering what has happening INSIDE, no one knew what to tackle first!

"Okay, we have giant trees on the outside…." Grumpy said "And we have a giant Sneezy INSIDE."

The man placed his face in his hands, sobbing lightly.

"I just wanted to put up a coop. That's all!"

The house tilted back, throwing everyone off their feet near the spice shelves, flour, sugar, and cinnamon raining down on all.

"Oh, maybe we should use PIE as a weapon!" chirped Happy.

"Wrong little people!" Grumpy said "An' besides, we-!"

"_Gya-ah!"_

The grumpy Nicelander froze; he knew that sound.

Sneezy was covered in white and cinnamon-red from head to toe but that wasn't the worst of it.

"A-Ah!"

"Uh-oh." Grumpy said as he shot to his feet "Somethin' tells me it's not a good idea ta be near tha vicinity of THIS!"

And indeed, it was not.

"HA-CHO!"

Sneezy sprouted up again, nearly as tall as Grim SITTING!

"Incredible!" Doc said in awe, adjusting his glasses "Among the various things that are happening around here, of course."

It seemed that this time around Sneezy was finally starting to pick up what was happening, the poor dwarf scrambling on his knees as he looked down at the others, hitting his head on the low ceiling in the process.

"Guys?!"

Grumpy backed away nervously "Ah, I knew I shouldn't have let go alone in tha woods yesterday!"

Sneezy prepared to say something but the flour and other spices were still at work, his nose itching more than ever.

"Ah-!"

"Hit tha deck!" Grumpy cried.

"CHOO!"

Bigger.

"CHOO!"

And bigger still!

Now he was scrunched uncomfortably in the house, his head not yet breaking the ceiling but if things went on any further-!

"Ah-!"

It soon would!

"CHOO!"

"For the love of cheese!" Grumpy cried out, the others ducking behind him "What in Jollywood is going on?!"

Sneezy sneezed again, his head finally crashing through the ceiling, some of the beds crashing onto the floor.

"Oh, that's nice." Sleepy smiled as his bed fell just mere inches from him, the dwarf settling into the comfy blankets and pillows. Sneezy was starting to see just how much trouble he was in but there was little he could do considering how BIG he had gotten.

"Um, things are gettin' a lil tight up here, fellas."

_**BWROAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!**_

"GAAAAAAAAAH!" Sneezy screamed as he looked right into the beady, furious eyes of the anger and most importantly, LARGER, tree monster "N-Nice monster! Good monster! Pffft-! PTTTTH! Fwwwtttth!"

"What are ya doin' NOW?!" cried Grumpy.

"I thought if I did my ROBIN whistles, they would be a lil nicer?!"

Grumpy once again slammed his hand to his face "Sneezy! GAH!"

The first of the bunch tore a hand through the large upper window, swiping and tearing for Sneezy but it was a tad TOO big to reach him, Sneezy stuck in the middle of the floor and trying with all his might to fidget just out of the reach of the creature.

"Oh! AH! I really don't like how CLOSE we're gettin' Mr. Monster!"

"Hang on Sneezy!" called Doc "We'll get you outta there!"

"And how do ya expect us ta do that?" asked Grumpy.

Doc noticed a broom next to him, the leader of the gang picking it up and rushing up the stairs.

"CHAAAAAAAAARGE!"

Doc jumped in front of Sneeze and began batting the hands of the monster away, doing anything he could to protect his friend.

Once more, Grumpy could only watch in stunned awe "He's going ta fight with a broom. We got two-story tall ravenous tree-monsters surroundin' tha house…an' Doc is gonna fight 'em with a broom."

"We all are!" Happy cheered, grabbing his own broom along with the others, the lot of them rushing up to bat away the attackers.

Again….all Grumpy wanted to do was build a chicken coop.

"Oh, might as well." The last dwarf moaned, grabbing his own broom and rushing upstairs to going the others. They fought off a best they could, Sneezy still stuck behind him as the bottom half was on the first floor.

"Urgh, urk!" he struggled "I'd help, but I think my sleeve s caught on the lightin' fixtures!"

"Just stay where ya are!" Doc instructed "Once we get these guys away from here we'll figure out-!"

The monster roared again, finally able to reach a little further into the cottage. The dwarfs all ducked as it made a grab for them-!

"WhooooOOOOOOAAA!"

And unfortunately got one!

"GRUMPY!" Sneezy called out in horror as he watched his friend getting carried off. He tried again to wriggle himself free, moving his shoulders and arms this way and that until finally he was able to get himself free…sort of. His middle was still stuck in the hole that he had made when he grew through the ceiling but he managed to press down on the floor, lifting himself up just enough to reach out and grab Grumpy from the monster's hand.

"Urgh, let him go!"

"URRFTH!" Grumpy croaked, the air literally squeezed out of him as he found himself clutched in Sneezy's strong grip "Hurf, don't grab me so hard!"

With its prize gone, the monster was now beyond angry and made a dive for the group again. Sneezy tried to hold back the other attacking hand but now BOTH his hands were full, one holding onto Grumpy and the other trying to hold back the monster and now the OTHERS were starting to join in on the battle as well!

"Aaah! AAAAH!" shouted Sneezy in fright "Don't these guys ever give up?!"

One more arm joined in the attack, busting in through the ceiling and swiping its sharp splintery hands at the 7D, its fingers cutting through one of the remaining beds….

And spilling feathers everywhere.

_This could only go down ONE road…._

The feathers tickled Sneezy's nose, the inevitable sneeze coming.

"A-Aaah-!"

Grumpy managed to free himself from Sneezy's hold and fell ungracefully to the ground "Better hold onta somethin'! Here come tha big one!"

Big indeed.

Another sneeze blew through the home and with the sneeze, Sneezy once more GREW.

"AH-CHOO!"

And grew!

"AH-CHOOOOO!"

AND GREW!

The noise went unnoticed by Hildy who was enjoying her torment of the 7D, her cackles as loud as the thunder around her.

"Oh, they're still playing hard-ball eh?" the woman chuckled "Then perhaps one more blast should-!"

The house began to rumble, the tree-beast stepping back as something within was starting to shake the house a lot more than they were. Hildy lowered her wand, eyes looking right at the sight.

"What is going on in the-?"

Someone was definitely going on within the house of the 7D!

With a loud crash, a hand SHOT out through a window and then a moment later the right hand came out! Hildy screamed and ducked as did her monster henchmen, the lot of them crying out in a high-pitched wail as the thought of ANOTHER monster entering the fight proved to be too much!

"Wait! Where are you-?!"

The trees took off for the forest much to the witch's annoyance but her focus returned on the home of the 7D, now surprised to find that it had sprouted LEGS and FEET as well!

"_I-I don't remember conjuring up anything on the INSIDE!" _

The house creaked and groaned, the limbs sticking out clumsily but then it settled, Hildy looking up in awe at the sight before her.

"_W-What?!"_

She watched as the hands plodded around on the ground but then reached up to the clock-face of the house, the hatch opening to reveal-!

One

ENORMOUS

Dwarf.

And he was looking down at her!

"Oh!" Sneezy said, looking about at the small witch as if nothing were out of the ordinary "Where did all of those trees go?"

He then tried to lower his hand from Hildy's point of view, it looked as if the giant monster were reaching out to grab her!

"KIYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

"Gerk!" yelped the dwarf, pulling his hand away.

Hildy might have had magic to make tree monsters but to combat this beast?

"Aaaaah! I need the magic of TWO to fight of whatever THAT is!" Hildy said as she hopped on her broom, tearing off as fast as she could.

"I-Is it over?" shivered Bashful, his head popping out of a bucket.

"I think so…." Whispered Doc, carefully exiting the house to get a good view of just how much damage had been done. Some of the windows were broken and there were PLENTY of branches strewn about but when he got a look at Sneezy.

"Glittering gems!"

That was the thing that made his mind spin.

The others soon joined their leader, all in awe at the sight but not sure what to do and it wasn't as if Sneezy could do anything either as he was a little…trapped.

"Sneezy?"

The young dwarf's eyes moved over to the others, his arms moving rather haphazardly from their windows.

"Yeah, Doc?"

"Ya know? Somethin' tells me your little run in with Grim yesterday wasn't as LITTLE as we assumed."


	6. Six D, One G

Chapter Six- Six D, One G

Hildy screamed all the way home as she flew on her broom, not even stopping once she crashed through the windows and darted under the bed.

"BIG! GIANT! MONSTER!" she shivered, grabbing onto her stuffed gargoyle and holding it tight "W-who knew that those little trollops were equipping themselves with MONSTERS! That's not fair! That's OUR job!"

"BLUAAAURGH!" someone called from the bathroom "Ack! Is someone out there! I think I'm startin' ta-!"

"Crystal Ball?"

Hildy peeked from under the bed and looked around, remember that she had indeed left one of the other house's occupants in a less than desirable place.

"Ball!" she gasped, running from the bedroom. She stopped short of the door, scowling angrily "This is no time for a swim! I need your help again!"

It wasn't as if the Crystal Ball could do anything to save himself, other than try to keep his face from rotating in the water.

"Puth! Ya only come when ya need me, huh? Any other time, it's just games like, I dunno 'DUNK THA BALL'!?"

Using her wand, Hildy plucked Ball from the water and placed him back onto the table "Okay, the search for Grim didn't go as well as I had hoped."

"NAW! What a SHOCK!"

"But that's only on the account that those miserable dwarves surprised me!" Hildy growled, slamming her hands on the table "First they take Grim and then they have the nerve to attack MY monsters with their OWN monsters!"

"Oh, sounds like those lil guys are upgradin'!" Ball laughed "I'm sure Doc put 'em up to it, that lil guy has always had an eye for-!"

Ball was cut off when Hildy rushed to the bookshelf, pulling out one of the many magic and monster books she had.

"Hmmm, strange. I don't think the monster I saw is in here."

"You're lookin' through THOSE outdated thing? Honey, c'mon! Just give me a mental picture an' perhaps I can name your beast!"

"Alright." Hildy began "I didn't get a good look at it since the house was blocking most of it but….but it had two arms…"

Ball gave the witch an unimpressed look "Yes….two arms. That….that is QUITE the unique feature. Next you'll tell me water is wet."

"Two arms, two legs, two eyes, one nose…."

If Ball had hands, he would have put them on his forehead.

"Oh my GOSH, Hildy! I have NEVER gotten a challenge like this!"

"Wait, there were some things I could see in the window!" the witch said, eyes lighting up "I could make out some red and blue striped fur?"

"Okay, now we're gettin' somewhere!"

"And there was this white patch on its chest and-!"

The witch stopped, her mind clicking together at that very moment. She scowled, rushing over to the dartboard on the other wall, a picture of the 7D plastered on it.

"Wait a moment…that thing was no monster! IT WAS ONE OF THOSE BLASTED DWARVES!"

"Ah-HAH! Ya mean ta tell me that one of tha 7D scared away some of YOUR monsters?" laughed Ball, finding the entire idea HILARIOUS "Many, those guys really are stepping up, aren't they!"

"This isn't funny, Ball!" Hildy growled.

"It isn't? I found it good for a lil giggle."

"This is getting worse and worse! It wasn't enough that they have Grim in their home but now they're using him to perform MAGIC?!"

"Slow down, what do ya mean they're makin' Grim perform magic?"

"How ELSE could those runts be able to scare away my creations than by using Grim against us! I bet that little sneezy one MADE him zap him to that size so he could-!"

"Little? HA!" Ball laughed loudly "Check things out babe, he ain't so lil anymore!"

Hildy turned as Ball adjusted his settings, his sights now on the home of the 7D.

"There he is!" gasped Hildy "And he's still there in the house!"

"Hang on Sneezy!" Doc called, looking around the house for any sort of way to free the not-so-dwarf dwarf "We'll get you out…somehow!"

* * *

"All this excitement…." Grumpy huffed "An' it ain't even lunch-time. Go figure."

"Yeah!" Happy said excitedly "There isn't anything I love more than an EVENTFUL day!"

Grumpy arched a brow…and said nothing more.

"A-ah, guys?" Sneezy said from inside the house "I don't mean ta complain but…I think my arms are startin' ta fall asleep in this position."

Sleepy yawned "They're not the only ones."

"I got it!" Doc smiled, snapping his fingers "I just remembered! Last year during the Great Firefly Migration I had the roof retro-fitted to retract so we could get a better view of the sky!"

"So does that mean I can get out?" Sneezy said hopefully.

"Indeed!" nodded Doc, a mechanical arm coming out of his hat holding a remote. The bespectacled-dwarf pushed the green button and as he had explained the roof of the 7Ds' cottage split neatly in half and folded over on the side, Sneezy now able to move!

"Ah, much better!" the young dwarf said as sat up. He then carefully, CAREFULLY, pulled his arms and legs from the windows and climbed out of the house. The group gave a cheer once their friend was free but there was still one BIG mystery on their hands.

What exactly had happened?

* * *

"What happened?" growled Hildy "I'll tell you what happened! They still have Grim at their house but this time! THIS TIME I shall not be scared away by some MONSTER, especially when it's just some over-sized dopey dwarf!"

"Eh, don't mean ta be all nit-picky…." Smiled Ball, the image on his surface changing to Dopey "But THIS is Dopey. Tha family-sized dwarf that ya so bravely retreated from is SNEEZY!"

The backtalk was never going to end.

"Oh, I have to find a way to get to that house without being spotted." Hildy said, pacing in the living room "If I can manage to get to the cottage without those little hair-balls interfering then-!"

*DING!*

IDEA!

The witch smiled evilly, rubbing her dainty hands together.

"Oh-ho-ho. What fun I have in store now."

* * *

"Looks like Grim's spell DID work." Grumpy said as he eyed Sneezy up and down "'Course it would be delay considerin' how slow he is on tha uptake."

"Gosh guys…" Sneezy said sadly, still trying to get used to his new point of view "I didn't think that all of this would happen."

Always the positive one, Happy gave his friend a smile "Look on the bright side! At least ya scared away those big trees before they could cause any more trouble! Plus think of the VIEW ya have from up there."

A few birds flew around Sneezy, the dwarf trying to see things just as lovely as Happy was.

"Eh, well….I guess you're right."

"So what if tha trees are gone, Happy? We still need ta figure out how ta bring Sneezy here back down ta size!"

"Right." Nodded Doc "And if Grim really is the cause of all of this then I am afraid we could have a problem on our hands."

Sneezy stooped down towards the others, wanting to hear everything.

"W-What kinda prob-? Prob-! PRAAAAAAH-!"

Grumpy shook his head, casually walking over to a tree and holding onto it.

"Gotta be prepared…."

CHOOOOOOOO!

With as sneeze as powerful as that, Sneezy blew the leaves right off the trees…..ALL OF THEM!

"AH-CHOO! AH-CHOOOO!"

"Look!" Bashful pointed, showing that there was still something happening.

As with every sneeze that took place before, Sneezy found himself getting bigger bit by bit!

"There, ya see? THAT is our problem." Said Doc.

Sneezy sniffled, looking more and more worried at the forest below, picking up a tiny wheelbarrow in his hands "I'll sure *snff!* say…."

Dopey motioned over to Doc and whistled, showing him a doodle of Sneezy stuck in the house that he had drawn .

"That's right Dopey. Sneezy gets bigger every time he sneezes which we can only guess was part of Grim's spell!" the wise dwarf said.

"But why would Grim wanna do somethin' like that?" asked Sleepy.

"I have a feeling that was not part of Grim's original plan. And since this is something that a Gloom CAST, a Gloom is what we'll need to set it right!"

"What!? Are ya kiddin' me?!" blustered Grumpy "We chased tha last Gloom that was here away an' from what I could get from her babblin' ol' big-nose is missin'!"

"Wait, Grumpy. I'm right here!" Sneezy said, pointing to himself. The grumpy dwarf let out a heavy sigh.

"Not YOU. GRIMWOLD!"

"So what are we gonna do until we find Grim?" asked Sleepy. Doc looked up, his mind busy at work.

"Well-!"

A familiar chime rang upon the kingdom, the 7D looking up.

"The Bing-Bong Bell!" said Happy.

"Queen Delightful needs us!" followed Bashful.

"Looks like we'll have to work on things later! It sounds like an emergency!" said Doc as he and the others ran into the house to go through the pipe-tubes.

All except one of course….

Sneezy watched as his friends went into the house but he of course could not make it. He couldn't even fit his HAND through the tiny door at this point so what made him think he could fit through the tubes?

"Um, Doc?"

Doc turned and looked up at his young friend, the sadness VERY clear in his face.

"Hmmm, I think for this round it would be better if you walked."

Sneezy only nodded weakly, getting up and walking off towards the castle.

HI-HO! HERE WE GO!

The others took off their own way while Sneezy went off on his own but what he didn't know was on his way to the castle, he had walked past the very wizard he was looking for!

Grim was still hunkered up in the rabbits' warren, clutching onto his moss blanket, sucking his thumb.

"Hmmm, the grassy blanket is good Hildy. Thank you."

When the footsteps thundered by, the rabbit took off in fear, the tremors heavy enough to knock the sleeping wizard about a bit.

"Ha?! WHAT?!"

Sneezy had walked past Grim without even known and the wizard was still too sick and tired to realize what was going on.

"OooOOOooh…..breakfast time already?" he said in a flighty voice, near ROLLING out of the warren and wandering about.

Yup, he was still VERY feverish and the land before him still looked so wonderful and candy-like!

"I wish Hildy were HEEEEERE! She would looooove this!"

* * *

"OOOO-EEEE-OOOO-EEEEE-OOOOO!" cried Queen Delightful, spinning on her toes "Oh, where could the 7D be?!"

HI-HO!

The dwarves popped out of their holes hidden behind a few portraits on the wall….and promptly crashed into Lord Starchbottom.

"GAH! Where do those things keep coming from?!"

"The 7D are here!" called the group.

"You are?" blinked the queen "But I only see, one, two, three….SIX of you! Did someone need to call in sick?"

"SICK…." Grumpy said "Eh, that's ONE way to put it…."

Starchy leapt to his feet "Forget about that! We have a major problem on our hands!"

"What it, Starchbottom?"

Several familiar ROARS blasted through the village, group knocked down on their bottoms.

"Oh, don't tell me."

Just as they had feared, the trees had returned and this time they were running amuck in the village! The little people of Jollywood screamed and fled for their lives but they were no match for the reach of these terrible beast!

"So you see, we have a little infestation from the forest." Delightful said, her voice surprisingly calm this time "Do you think it could be because of the changing seasons? I know people who don't like it when the weather gets colder but I never thought that TREES could get this crabby too!"

"Speakin' of crabs." Grumpy said as he looked up in the sky, a purple-clad woman riding overhead "There's only one person I know capable of pullin' at trick this low."

Hildy flew overhead, her monsters below stomping more and more!

"Let's see how brave those 7D are when their precious kingdom is destroyed!" she cackled, swaying her broom to the beat of the deadly dance her minions were jumping to "Listen to that beat as the village goes STOMP under your feet!"

But this wouldn't be enough for the witch. She wanted REVENGE on those whom she believed had robbed her of her love, her eyes set on the castle.

"Hehe, we mustn't be greedy now shall we?"

Hildy flew her broom near one of the trees, kicking it in the back of its head.

"You!"

"Bluuurgh?"

"Why don't you show the Queen your dancing skills? I'm sure she would LOVE to see it!"

The tree beast nodded and lumbered off to the palace.

"Now with their attention focused, I can begin my search!" Hildy laughed, zooming off to the 7Ds' cottage.

* * *

"As much as I love dancing, this just will not do." Delightful said, the majesty sounding MOST upset at the matter "Is there any way you can stop these tap-dancing trees with just six?"

"Queen, we are on it!" Doc replied energetically as he led the others away "We just need to pick up a few things from the royal kitchen first."

With the tree approaching the castle, Starchy let out a scream "Those overgrown toothpicks are coming this way! WHAT DO WE DO!?"

Yipsalot noticed a noise not too far away, leaping onto the ledge of the balcony and looking out. He yelped as a dog would upon laying sight on what was coming forth, quickly jumping down and yipping up a storm towards the Queen.

"Oh dear, Sir Yipsalot! What is wrong?"

A shadow fell upon the three, Starchy looking up and seeing….

"_Oh…..my…"_

Sneezy.

No.

GIANT SNEEZY!

The once-dwarf peered down at the now tiny man curiously, "Funny to see tha castle from THIS angle."

Unsurprisingly, the Queen began to smile even though Starchy and Yipsalot didn't share her sentiments.

"And it's funny to see you from THIS angle, Sneezy!" Delightful giggled "But at least you're not SICK like I first thought you were. I was so worried, I was going to send soup."

Lord Startchbottom's reaction to all of this?

Well, there were massive trees in the village and now a massive 'dwarf' in front of him. What more could on do than to pass out?

Timber!

"Starchy?" Sneezy asked innocently, wondering what could have happened to cause such a response "Um, ya okay there?"

"Hmmm….maybe I should get Starchbottom the soup instead."

* * *

"Grim? Grim?" Hildy called as she looked around the cottage but no one was there. She checked the cupboards, she checked the beds, she even checked the goat pen but Grim was not there.

"No, GRIM!" she cried sadly, wanting to see the adorable face of her missing husband "They've hidden you even better than I could have imagined!"

The witch used her wand to zap the cottage free of its walls and when that didn't work she turned the house UPSIDE DOWN and RIGHT BACK UP again but still there was not a sign of the ditzy wizard anywhere.

And this fact only made her ANGRIER!

"FINE! If that is the way they want to play, I'll UP the fun!"

Hildy got back on her broom and took off back to the kingdom, all sorts of witchy things brewing in her head to pay back the 7D.

Meanwhile, Doc was putting his plans to work as well, driving a massive kart that had several large cauldrons hitched to the back of it into the village.

"Okay, remind me why we had to flash-melt marshmallow again?" asked Grumpy.

"Simple. When life gives ya sticks, what do ya do?"

Grumpy blinked, not at all understanding a single point to the leader's plan "I dunno. WHAT?"

"You use them to make S'MORES!"

Doc managed to get as close to the legs of the monsters as possible, their limbs thrashing and tearing away as the tiny denizens ran for their lives. A scope popped from his hat, the dwarf taking aim and….

"FIRE!"

Dopey jumped on a large ladle in one of the pots, a giant glob of marshmallow flying at the tree and gluing it right in place! Finding that it was now stuck, the tree monster dropped its victim and let out a confused grunt which then turned into a loud bray for help. It waved its arms about in the air just as Hildy arrived back from the cottage, not at all pleased to see her beast were once again being thrown about by the 7D.

"What do they think they are doing?!" Hildy cried "Hey! You can't attack when I'm attacking from your last attack! That's too many attacks!"

*SPLAT!*

Another gob of marshmallow flew towards the witch but she flew out of the way just in time, only open the way for her other beast to get covered.

"No, no, no! It wasn't supposed to go this way!"

The best struggled and fought but its head was too weighed down by the marshmallow bomb, the thing indeed looking like a s'more stick as Doc has said.

"What's a s'more without chocolate and graham crackers?" sang Happy, a few citizens pelting the monster with the other ingredients, making it even harder for it to get up and fight back "Mmmm! Toasty!"

"Looks like you're plan is workin'!" said Grumpy, an actual smile forming on his face "Keep firin'!"

One by one, the trees were getting covered, the marshmallows much too sweet and much too sticky for them to fight against!

"Get up, GET UP!" Hildy order "You can't let these pipsqueaks beat you!"

The monsters TRIED to get up but all they could do was writhe about in the melted candy goo.

"'Ey, weren't there more of those things when we got here?" asked Grumpy.

"Great glittering gems! I think one of them got away!" gasped Doc.

"It got away?! Where could it have gone?"

To the castle, where else?

The monster gave a roar as it BARRELED through the stone walls of the palace, even making Sneezy duck in fear for a moment.

"Oh, it's YOU." He frowned "Ya got us tha last time but I'm not gettin' fooled again!"

Sneezy might have gained a few inches….but the tree monsters was still a might taller than him and he knew it. He gulped, raising his hands and making them look like claws.

"Er. Beware?"

_**BWOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!**_

Sneezy was knocked down hard on his bottom, the monster showing that this time he did not fear him as he stepped closer and closer to him, its dark eyes going towards the Queen and her Lord who was still passed out on the ground.

"Oh my!"

"Hey, leave these guys alone!" Sneezy cried out, trying with his all to sound as tough as possible "P-Pick on someone your own size ya big bully!"

The tree monster ignored the king-sized dwarf and inched closer to the Queen, adding even more insult to the event by slamming its hand in Sneezy's face, smushing his cheeks and nose.

"Bwoofth! HEY!"

By now, Sneezy was getting a little cross with how he had been handled and grabbed a hold of the monster's hand, pushing him back from the palace and away from Delightful and Starchy right into the fountain.

"Now, I don't wanna *sniff!* get MEAN with ya!" Sneezy sniffed as he got up "B-But if I have to-! I-I…I might!"

The monster scowled at the 'dwarf' and got back on its feet, Sneezy inching away as he twiddled his fingers.

"Maybe? _P-Possibly?_"

Even if he were nearing two stories tall, Sneezy just COULDN'T play bad.

Starchy finally began to wake up but when he saw TWO giant monsters near the castle it was screams all over again.

"_**YA-HAAAAAAAA! TWO MONSTERS! TWO MONSTERS! WHY ARE THERE TWO MONSTERS HERE?!"**_

"Oh, the one in the striped shirt isn't a monster." Delightful beamed "It's Sneezy!"

Starchy felt light-headed again, passing out for a second time as the very thought of an oversized D was too much to bear. Sneezy on the other hand knew he had a mission to uphold; to protect the Queen! The tree monster was on its feet and looked ready to grab them but the large dwarf mirrored his moves, preventing him from getting any closer to Delightful.

"Ha-ha! My sneezes are fast but so are my moves!" Sneezy laughed bravely, blocking a jab from the beast. The only question was whether or not he could keep the fight up.

"You-ho, Sneezy!" Delightful waved sweetly "I don't mean to impose but it seems that you and the tree are stepping all over the begonia bushes. That isn't too good at all."

"Oh no!" Sneezy said worryingly as he looked down, seeing that he had indeed trampled all over the royal flowers. He took off his hat and lowered his head shamefully "I-I'm sorry, Queen Delightful. Gimmie a moment."

Without even a second thought, Sneezy went back to the tree monster and began pushing him off the castle ground.

"C'mon, let's go."

"Bwurgh?"

The two walked away from the palace and the little distance back into the village, the entire battle stopping mid-way as Sneezy and the other monster appeared.

"There." Sneezy smiled, turning back to the castle and cupping his hands over his mouth _**"IS THAT BETTER?!"**_

The Queen took a megaphone to her mouth _**"YES! THANK YOU SO MUCH, SNEEZY!"**_

Sneezy gave a little wave and a smile, returning his focus on the others "There. NOW we can continue."

And the battle went on!

"If there is one thing we can say about Sneezy, at least he's polite." Grumpy commented, shrugging his shoulders.

"You saved me the effort of looking for all of you." Growled Hildy as she aimed her wand for the 7D "Now, if you don't give my husband back to me this instant-!"

"Lady, we don't have your husband!" insisted Grumpy.

"Liars! I know you do!"

"Look, if Grim gettin' lost is this much of a problem have ya ever considered puttin' him on a leash or somethin'?"

Hildy screeched in anger as she zapped her tree beast, making them even more dangerous than before, their sharp claws able to cut them free of their marshmallow binds, several extra pairs of arms jutting from their bodies.

"Get them!" the witch called "But save the 7D for later! I want them to watch the misfortune they have brought upon Jollywood!"

The monsters tore around the village with even more of a frenzy, the citizens screaming at the top of their lungs but it was no use! Doc and the others tried their marshmallow bombs again but the claws were much to sharp, SLICING through the candy and flinging it down on the ground.

"Really hope ya gotta back-up plan in your hat, Doc!"

_**GWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAR!**_

"Oh my gosh!" gasped Sneezy, trying his best to help, the thought easier said than done as he was so unbalanced with everyone running below him.

"D-Don't worry! I can he-AAUUUURGH!"

Seeing its chance, the monster tree LIFTED the large dwarf off the ground with ease, Sneezy's legs dangling helplessly in the air. Hildy laughed at the sight, her lips pursed in a cruel smile.

"Awww, poor Sneezy." She cooed "I guess they didn't make you big enough, did they?"

Beads of sweat formed on the D's brow, feeling the beast's hands grab him round his neck even tighter but he knew he couldn't give up, not with the village in danger.

"Urgh! Urf!" he grunted, swinging his feet "PUT ME DOWN!"

Wrong thing to request, Sneeze-man.

The beast pulled back gruffly and TOSSED Sneezy towards the houses, the dwarf crying out as he sailed through the air. Doc let out a shout once he realized the intended destination for the falling D was RIGHT ON HIS CART!

"RUN!"

Sneezy land with such a thud that the entire village shook but that was not the worst of it. He had landed on the kart in such a way that the giant cauldrons of marshmallow FLEW into the air and rained down upon the rest of the tiny people of Jollywood, gluing them helplessly to the ground with the tree monsters right by. Even the 7D were covered and stuck, unable to move, the giant Sneezy included!

"Oh, EW!" Grumpy cried in disgust, trying to pry his feet from the ground "Do ya KNOW how long it takes us to wash gunk like this outta our hair?! A long, long time, that's how long!"

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEE! This is going even better than I could have imagined!" Hildy squealed in delight, her heart a-flutter at the sight of the trapped people of Jollywood but in her happiness a tiny tear rolled down her cheek.

"Oh, if only Grim were here to witness this." Hildy sniffled "I'm sure the sight of this would cure his fever."

She shrugged her shoulders, the smile returning.

"Ah well, wish n' learn. _**NOW DESTROY THEM ALL MY PRETTIES! WAHAHAHAH!"**_

Thunder clapped behind the witch as she continued to laugh, her beast prepared to finally do in Jollywood!

"Urk!" Sneezy struggled, trying to free himself off the ground from the sticky marshmallows "I-I think I might be able ta free ya guys! I-I might!"

"Wait, Sneezy!" warned Doc "Don't try to-!"

Doc's warning came a moment too late as Sneezy was pulled back by the mushy mess but he was flung back so hard that his back hit the side of a house, the straw-thatch roof spraying everywhere.

Including right under Sneezy's nose.

"A-Aaaah-!"

The other D braced themselves for they knew what was coming.

"AAAAAAH-!"

Hildy's face dropped just as those of her tree beast did, trying to quickly put up a spell "No! I need a sneeze-guard! I need a-!"

_**CHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!**_

**WHAT A SNEEZE!**

This time, the blast was powerful enough to seen EVERY SINGLE tree beast flying off into the distance, Hildy going off with them.

"_**AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! THIS ISN'T FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIR!"**_ she wailed before becoming nothing more than a twinkle in the sky.

The village was safe?

The village was SAFE!

"Wow, way to go Sneezy!" Doc cheered, freeing one of his arms "That really blew them-!"

"AH-!"

Grumpy cried out, forgetting all manners and just jumping out of the mess with his pants left behind.

"Oh, can't ya just look inta tha sun ta stop 'em?!"

"AH-CHOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Sneezy sneezed again but the bigger he got, the more POWERFUL his sneeze became! This time he blew off ALL the roofs on the houses!

"AH-CHOO! AH-CHOOO! AAH-CHOOOO!"

As if tree beast were bad enough, now the citizens began running in terror from the SNEEZY MONSTER!

"Run!"

"Watch out!"

"He'll sneeze ya into outter-space!"

"MY BABY!"

"MY MAMA!"

After so many sneezes, the dwarf finally managed to catch his breath but seeing the Jollywood citizens running from him didn't brighten his mood one bit.

"W-Wait!" he stammered "D-Don't run!"

Even if his voice were louder, it was if no one else had heard him. They scattered away, Sneezy only wanting to explain himself but it was becoming more and more difficult considering how FRAGILE the village was to him now. He made one step and BAM! His foot crushed a kart! He moved this way and CRASH! He crushed a stall!

"I-I'm sorry!" he said nervously, backing away "I-I'm not tryin' ta cause any da-!"

"Sneezy, look out!"

Sneezy felt something catch the back of his foot, the dwarf falling backwards and crushing a HOUSE under him, the occupants luckily running out before they found themselves unfortunate victims of the collapse.

The large dwarf had never felt so terrible in his life; only moment before he had managed to SAVE the village from Hildy's wrath but as it turned out it looked as if he were causing much more damage and fear than any monster the witch could conjure up. He looked around, seeing broken houses, toppled stalls and various farm animal running everywhere and they were running from HIM. The village had never been in such disarray before but Sneezy knew that its state was all his fault.

As Bashful would put it; Floom.

"Sneezy?" Doc asked softly, the others behind him "Are you okay?"

Sneezy looked as if he were about to cry, his head down and his mood glum "*snrk*….no."

The leader of the D looked back, seeing a few eyes of the villagers peaking behind hiding places.

"Um, are you guys still scared?"

The little people shook their heads nervously, ducking down even further.

They had plenty to deal with when it came to witches and wizard but adding a GIANT to the mix and things became much too crazy even for them.

Doc returned his attention to the younger dwarf "Do you want to go home?"

Sneezy sniffled again "Y- *snf!* yeah…"

HOME seemed like the best place for the D to go at this point considering how much damage had been done and how scared and upset everyone was. He sighed heavily, leading the others away.

"C'mon guys. Maybe we can work more on this once we do get home…."

Sneezy got up and followed, still looking as glum as ever as his huge footsteps echoed through the forest, finally disappearing as he and the rest of the D made their way back to their home.


	7. Sad Sneezes

Chapter Six – Sad Sneezes

Thing didn't end that well for anyone that night. The Glooms were still separated, the village was in a mess and one giant 'dwarf' found himself all alone outside the house. After the destruction that he had caused, Sneezy couldn't even think of saying anything, let alone sneeze anything.

Oh, no.

Sneezing was out of the question.

He just sat on the lawn, twirling one of the many windmills on the roof but after a while….

*SNAP!*

He even knocked that down, the piece falling onto the ground with a heavy thud.

"Ah, it's late anyway…." Sneezy mumbled, sniffling sadly.

"Poor Sneezy…." Bashful moaned as he peeped out the window "I've never seen him this down…er, up. I mean down and up? _I don't know what to say anymore…_"

Dopey whistled in mournfully in agreement, putting a comforting arm around Bashful's shoulder.

"I wish I could help him but there just isn't any invention I could make or gem that I know of in our mines that could reduce him back to normal." Said Doc "It makes my beard twist knowin' we need the Glooms this much but we do!"

"But how we convince them to help?" yawned Sleepy "They're not….aaaah, they're not very approachable."

"I'll stay up all night and come up with a plan if I have to!" Doc said, determined to find a way to solve the spell issue "It's the only option we have."

"Okay, ya go an' do that." Said Grumpy, looking at Sneezy from the window "But in tha mean-time, what do we do with him?"

Happy plucked away on his guitar, as always trying to be the bright light in a dark situation "Maybe if we all sang a song? Ya think that would put a smile on his face?"

Grumpy quickly pulled the guitar away and set it on the couch.

"Ya know what? Lemme take care of _**THIS**_ problem." Grumpy said, pushing the other dwarf out of the way as he walked outside, looking up at the glum giant dwarf.

"Say Sneeze-Man…"

Sneezy said nothing, his attention still on the ground. Bashful was right; Sneezy had never been this down before. Grumpy was starting to see that perhaps things wouldn't be as simple to fix as he thought, his mood as broken as Grim's spell.

"Are ya still upset over what happened in tha village?" Grumpy continued "Eh, it'll get cleaned up in no time an' besides. Imagine how many people cudda gotten hurt had ya not sneezed Hildy an' her hoard away! I mean, ya defeated TREE MONSTERS!"

"After smashin' tha village under MY feet. They're huge!"

"Why does that line sound so familiar?"

"Oh, tha only reason I'm in this mess is because I keep gettin' myself an' everyone else in trouble with my sneezes."

Grumpy looked up, seeing that Sneezy was still upset not just because of the spell but various other times he had felt this his sneezing had gotten in the way.

"Aw, Sneeze-man…."

"It started with your coop but it goes back even further before that…" Sneezy said sadly "'Member when Doc tried ta use his new para-gilder do-hickey at tha beach last summer?"

Grumpy thought back "Yeah? Tha one _**I**_ was in?"

"I sneezed an' ya went 'round tha world nine times then back again! An' what about tha time we went to Bramble Berry Bog?"

Grumpy's brows lowered "…**YES."**

"We were supposed ta be quiet as possible ta not disturb tha croco-gators but then I sneezed an' ya inta a DEN of 'em, ya-!"

"Okay, okay! I GET IT!" Grumpy shouted, realizing that it did seem that out of all the Ds, he wound up on the bad end of Sneezy's sneezes.

Still though the older dwarf knew his friend never meant any harm in what had happened in all those instances and it only made Grumpy feel worse. He thought back to what happened at the chicken coop and how upset Sneezy had gotten since he felt he was only getting in the way. With the spell, Grim had caused the very thing that Sneezy was trying his best to control into an even GREATER problem.

The villagers were scared of him, he couldn't fit in the house with the others and if they couldn't find Grim who knew how _**BIG**_ Sneezy would get if he kept sneezing.

"Aw, for tha love of cheese…." Grumpy grumbled, taking the pot off his head "Listen here Sneezy, don't feel bad because of your sneezes. It's what ya do an' yeah, yeah. I wish I weren't always on tha recievin' end of 'em but-"

Sneezy was giving Grumpy 'the eyes' again and now that they were larger, they were going through him like never before!

How could he do that?

"B-But that doesn't mean your clumsy, alright? Or that ya can't help out because we DO need your help! We wouldn't be tha 7D without, ya know, all SEVEN of us!"

Despite all his talk, Sneezy didn't look any better for as big as he was, he felt very small.

"I-I don't know….I think with me, we'd add up ta…."

Sneezy counted on his fingers, then he measured Grumpy's height with his fingers before trying to figure out his own by placing a hand on his head.

"I dunno, maybe 70Ds?"

"If it means anythin' at all Sneeze-Man I'm sorry if I made ya feel down for all those accidental sneezes over tha years. Ya know I have a way of, *AHEM*, expressin' things."

Sneezy mood did lift if but a tad; Grumpy was trying his best not to be so sappy but at least he was honest.

"Ya mean it, Grumpy?" Sneezy said hopefully, going on his knees to get a better look at his friend "Ya REALLY mean it?"

Now the older dwarf was smiling arrogantly once he heard the spirit return to the larger dwarf "A'course I do! I just-_**NYAAAURGH!"**_

"Aw, Grumpster!" Sneezy said happily as he then lifted Grumpy off the ground…

And put him in a _**BONE-CRUSHING**_ hug.

"Thank ya so much for that!" Sneezy said cheerily "Ya make this dwarf feel like tha luckiest guy in all tha World!"

Grumpy was going BLUE in the face from his lack of air, arms struggling and legs kicking.

"N-Nice! Aaaarck! That I could _HAAAAALLP! C-can't! Breeeeeeathe-!"_

Sneezy finally let the older dwarf go, missing how he fell on his back in his dizziness and looked back up at the starts.

"Wow, Happy was right."

Grumpy coughed horribly, forcing himself up "_A-about what?"_

"This really IS a good view." Sneezy smiled, looking up at the stars "I can see EVERYTHIN' from up here!"

A shooting star sailed through the air, the young dwarf pointing at it.

"I don't think I would have been able ta see all these stars at my normal size!"

Grumpy gave his beard a scratch; there was something a little OFF about the flying streak of light.

"Huh….didn't know what shootin' stars came in purple an' pink varities."

* * *

"_**AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"**_

***BOOM!***

Once more, Hildy Gloom found herself crashing through the window of the bedroom, landing so hard that she even managed to knock the BED into the wall. She slid down, feeling broken, tired, but most of all completely fed up with all the bad luck she had gone through.

"_I…I always wanted to take a r-round the world trip…."_ She moaned dizzily from the floor _"J-Just not in tha way…"_

"So, did ya find your hubby?" came a voice from the front room "Or do ya wanna spare me tha GRIM news?"

Hildy couldn't force herself to respond to the wise-cracking ball and instead dragged herself to the window, moaning loudly.

"Oh, Grim! Where are you?!"


	8. Spotted

Chapter Eight– Spotted

The next morning the dwarves awoke, Doc already having a plan on what they were to do for the day.

"Okay fella, Grim is out there somewhere and maybe if we find him we finally get him to reverse Sneezy back to his normal size."

"A-are you sure this is a good idea?" meeped Bashfully, shaking nervously "I-I mean, what if Hildy comes back?"

"After the sneeze she was caught in?" laughed Grumpy "I doubt we'll be seein' her for a while."

"Alright! Let's get searching! The sooner we find Grim, the sooner all of this will be over!" Doc smiled, the six Ds cheering a High-Ho as they headed towards the door but Grumpy was pulled back "Hold on a moment."

"What is it now?"

"We need someone ts stay back with Sneezy."

"Why?" grumped the other dwarf "It's not like Sneezy doesn't know how ta take care of himself! He's a big boy….LITERALLY."

"True but if he were to sneeze again who knows what could happen."

"Um, for one thing he might end up steppin' on me. THAT'S a possibility."

"Please Grumpy. Ya gotta do this for us."

Grumpy moaned, knowing there was no way he could win against Doc. He begrudgingly shook his head, tapping his feet on the ground impatiently.

"Alright fine. But don't take too long lookin' for the wizard. He couldn't have gotten that far!"

HIGH-HO!

Away the other five dwarves went, flying about on one of Doc's inventions. Grumpy watched them go off before his eyes returned to Sneezy, the huge dwarf smiling down at him.

"Mornin' Grumpy!" the younger D smiled, waggling his fingers sweetly.

"Mornin'…."

"Um…..ya got any other plans for today?"

There was a pause between the two; a few frogs croaked, a bird or two flew by.

"NO. No I don't."

"Oh…o-okay."

It wasn't as if Grumpy were keen on what to do with a giant, let alone one of his friends who had been turned into a giant. All he knew was it was going to be a long, painfully awkward day but in the midst of his own grumping, Grumpy remember what he told Sneezy the night before. He did look a lot better after what had happened in the village so what kind of person would Grumpy be to leave him alone again?

"Er, say…." Grumpy though "Ya know somethin', I DO have one errand that needs ta be done."

"Really?" Sneezy said hopefully "*snf!* What is it?"

"Remember that chicken coop? I still didn't fix it."

"An' ya want me ta help ya again?" the young dwarf beamed, Grumpy backing away.

"Er….kinda."

Kinda?

Sneezy's face lowered as he detected the change in Grumpy's tone "A-ah, m-maybe I should sit out? I don't think-!"

"Wait, wait, wait! Don't go!" the other D called back "Listen. I have just the task ya can do ta help me make tha best chicken coop here. Ya just gotta be careful though, okay?"

"High-ho, right-o!" said Sneezy and within a few hours, the two dwarves had made their chicken coop.

But not just ANY chicken coop.

With Sneezy's 'elevated' height, Grumpy was able to use him to build a chicken CONDOMINIUM, the thing reaching nearly five levels high.

"An' it even has a pool." Grumpy smiled in satisfaction "Heh, knew we could come up with somethin' on tha fly like that!"

"It looks great, Grumpy!" said Sneezy, finally happy that he had helped Grumpy with his task. The other dwarf smiled haughtily.

"Heh, yeah. Ya can't beat the craftsmanship of a dwarf, that's for-!"

_**OooooooOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooOOOOO**_!

Grumpy jolted in fear, ducking under the coop and hiding with the other chickens.

"W-What in Jollywood was THAT?!"

_**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooOOOOOOOOoooooOOOOOO!**_

Whatever the 'thing' was, it sounded AWFUL…and SICK.

Sneezy turned his ears towards the sound, able to pick up the moaning better than Grumpy.

"Oh, sounds like someone's….like someone's in trouble!"

"Ya mean that moanin' is comin' from a person? From here, it sounded like a monster EATIN' a person."

"Oh no, what if someone is hurt?" Sneezy said, worry crossing his face "We might need ta help 'em!"

"Sneezy wait!" Grumpy jumped up, waving his hands around "Doc wouldn't like it if ya went trompin' about in tha woods! We need ta stay here, YOU especially!"

"But Grumpy, it could be an emergency!"

"I now that, kid but-!"

_**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooOOOOO!**_

The moaning sound was even worse than before, Sneezy's heart telling him to go for the sound despite the warning he was getting from his friend. His browed furrowed as he looked about in determination, remembering what had happened in the village the other day.

"I messed up BIG time, REALLY BIG, yesterday!"

"I told ya, Sneeze-man! That was okay!" warned Grumpy, knowing that Sneezy wasn't going to listen at all to a thing he said "Besides, th-tha chicken coop is enough! Ya don't have ta play heroics with EVERYTHIN'!"

"No, I scared everyone by bein' so clumsy! This time, I'm gonna show that I can help someone who is in trouble from a monster!"

"Sneezy, wait!" ordered Grumpy as he drew a line in the dirt with his foot "Don't ya cross this line or-GYAAAAAAAAAGH!"

"Sorry, Grumpster." Sneezy sniffled as plucked the dwarf off the ground and carried him off in his hand "We just can't leave someone like that."

In the midst of the forest, the horrid howling noise was doing wonders to clear every animal and magic creature away, everything in sight scared of what monster was trudging through.

"Bluuuuuuuurgh!" it moaned, hunched over, covered in moss and twigs, leaves stuck in its hair and mud all over its face "_Uung-ah!_ Throat….hurting. H-Head hurting….Stomach aching."

Grim!

The Gloom was still trudging about with his fever, lost, tired, and exhausted but for whatever reason, even beyond his own mindset he found that he could not stop. He kept walking and walking through the woods, going round in circles as he searched for his home and his wife.

"I wan' Hildy!" the sick wizard cried, imaging her face and her warm hold. How he missed her so; even if she could yell and scream, she was the only one who could make him better with a hug, a cuddle, and a kissy-kiss-kiss.

Grim didn't know how long he would last, regretting ever making the decision to leave his home so he lumbered on, stepping into swamp-water here, falling over there and looking more and more like some of creature the filthier he became.

Not too much of a distance away, Sneezy looked around as best he could and found that his adjusted size provided some much needed vantage to look through the entire forest.

"Wow, we'll find that person in no time!"

"_**IF. **_If it's a person at all…." Snorted Grumpy "May I so much as ASK what we're gonna do if it turn out ta be somethin' else? Like, I dunno, that twenty-two foot poison….clawed….frog thing that Happy was goin' on about a while back?"

Sneezy stopped and thought but he didn't seem any less determined "Don't worry! If somethin' bad is around, I won't let 'em get ya, Grumpster."

"Hurmph. RIGHT."

_**OOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooOOO!**_

"We're gettin' closer!" said Sneezy, walking further into the forest until "H-HOLY HANKIES!"

"OOOOOOOOOOOO!" moaned the moss-covered, sickly wizard, the two dwarves below him not knowing who in Jollywood he was "Uuuuurgh! BLUUUURGH!"

"I KNEW IT WAS A MONSTER!" Grumpy yelped, trying to hide in Sneezy's pocket but the pocket wasn't THAT big yet for him to fit completely "It's one of those cave-frogs!"

"Er, wasn't it supposed ta be a lil bigger than this?"

"You're tha one who who's up in tha air! No wonder things look small in your eyes!"

"Blllurgh!" groaned Grim, sounding more like a zombie than anything else at this point "Beeeeeed!"

"Bed?" blinked Sneezy, watching Grim wobble right under him, Sneezy bending over and just watching "Did he say bed?"

Ya-ya-YAAAAAGH!" Cried Grumpy as he hung from the pocket "Sneezy!"

The young dwarf continued to watch Grim trudge about, not even realizing that he was flipping himself upside down in the process before winding up falling over on his back, some trees knocked out of the ground.

"OOF!"

Grumpy landed beside him "Ya should try out for the circus kid. They would LOVE an act like that."

Sneezy didn't give up the chase but he trailed the creature slowly, hiding as best as a big dwarf could.

"_What ARE ya?"_

Grim stopped, feeling his nose tickle "A-Ah! AH-COOOOOO!"

And suddenly the tree in front of him turned into a candy-cane!

"Wait a second!" Grumpy gasped.

"Ah-AAAAH! AH-COOOOOOOO!"

Now there were pink puffy ponies flying about!

Grim was hallucinating beyond comprehension now, his arms out as he reached out for the flying horses.

"Mummy! Grimmy wan' THAT one!"

"GRIM?!" both dwarves said as they looked about, Grim jumping up and reaching for one of his ponies only to miss and fall flat on his face.

"HEY!" called Grumpy as he jumped out into the open "Grimwold!"

Grim turned around dizzily, his stomach starting to churn when he saw four warping Grumpy-s heading his way.

"Do ya know how much trouble ya put EVERYONE in Jollywood through!" scolded the older dwarf "You've got tha whole gang seachin' for ya an' your wife hasn't given is a moment of PEACE!"

"Oooooh…..soft-warm teddy man person…." Grim swooned, falling over on top of Grumpy and holding him tight.

"NYAAAGH!"

"Can teddy make me stop being sicky?" Grim cooed "I think he can!"

Grumpy just blinked, slapping his forehead "I really need ta take a break from this place onna these days."

"We should take 'im home!" smiled Sneezy as he approached the two, Grim instantly waking up "Then we can-!"

"_**GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" **_ screamed Grim!

"_**YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUGH!"**_ screamed Sneezy!

"G-Giant monster! Giant monster of my NIGHTMARES!" Grim shouted as he managed to pick himself up and dart away.

"Hey, get back here!" ordered Grumpy "We don't have time ta lose ya again!"

If Grim were sick, anyone watching him run would have never guessed it. The wizard darted about everywhere but he could hear and FEEL the footsteps of Sneezy coming up behind him. He looked again, crying out as he tried to hide but it was no use! Sneezy was too close!

"Don't hurt me!" Grim cried "Don't hurt me, PLEASE! I'm sorry for sneaking out of bed!"

"Hurt ya?" Sneezy said, a little worried about Grim's well-being "I-I don't wanna hurt ya! I just wanna-!"

"EAT ME?! THAT'S EVEN WORSE!" Grim cut in, his hands in the air. Grim kept gunning for it but after so much running, and his fever to boot, he quickly found himself unable to keep going. He clumsily fell forward, rolling right into the path of a vine thicket, getting more and more ensnared the more he tried to pull himself out.

"No! NO!" he hollered "This is no way to die!"

Sneezy was standing right over the wizard, Grim seeing a massive monster from his point of view even though Sneezy was FAR from such a creature, even if he were MUCH bigger than anyone could have wanted a dwarf. He got on his knees, his hands slowly going over to Grim to help him loose.

"Easy, easy…" the big dwarf said softly "I'm not gonna hurt, ya. I promise."

"N-No, you won't!" Grim fumbled around for his wand, pulling out a stick "B-Because I have _**THIS!"**_

Grumpy pointed to the object "That's a stick."

Grim's face dropped "A-are you sure?"

"Yes. I am sure." Replied Grumpy, crossing his arms.

Grim looked at the stick and back at the two dwarves.

What could he do to clear this up?

"U-uh! Then take this!" Grim said as he threw the stick in the air but it sailed above Sneezy and knocked a few leaves off the trees….right in front of Sneezy's nose.

WHOOPS.

"A-aaah!"

Grumpy clutched the sides of his pot, pulling Grim by the collar and taking off with him to the distance "Ah, we need ta take cover."

"AAAAAAAH-!"

It was just going to keep happening, wasn't it?

"CHOOO!"

Sneezy went up even HIGHER than expected this time around, his sneezes continuing until his head brushed the bottom of the tree tops!

"A-AAAAH! AH-CHOOOOOO!"

"Ooooh, I feel all woozy again…." Grim moaned, finally passing out just as Sneezy sneezed again-

"GAH?!"

And out popped his head well above the tree tops!

"Wow….." the young dwarf said, looking out "I can REALLY, REALLY see Jollywood now!"

"SNEEZYYYYYYY!"

The ENORMOUS dwarf looked down, Grumpy waving towards him. Being as careful as he could Sneezy looked down towards his friend, Grim laying out on the ground behind him. For a moment or so, Grumpy had nothing to as a he was far too busy looking in awe at just how undwarf-sized Sneezy had now become.

"Keep this up an' you'll be bumpin' your head on tha moon, Sneeze-Man….."

Grim moaned in hi sleep, his hands and feet twitching "Mmmm….keep the giant thing away, mummy. Grim scared…."

"Well, looks like we found Grim before Doc an' tha others did." Grumpy said, poking the wizard with a stick "But man! He musta been EVERYWHERE ta end up in a state like this!"

"Ya mean like Mississippi?"

SNEEZY.

Grumpy struggled to get Grim up, the wizard a lot heavier than he thought "L-Let's get him back ta our place. Once he wakes up, he can finally turn ya back ta normal."

"Wait, I got it Grumpy." Sneezy smiled warmly, picking both dwarf and wizard up in his hands. Grumpy held onto his flowerpot for dear life, feeling a little nervous in the knees the higher and higher he got.

"For tha love of CHEESE! I hope I don't get altitude sickness."


	9. Bed Rest

Chapter Nine- Bed Rest

Grim had been found!

But what did that mean for the rest of the D?

"Okay, the Glooms' residence is in sight…." Doc said to the other as he lowered his flying contraption out of the view of the house _"If we move in quietly enough, maybe we can see if Hildy is in!"_

Tip-toe, tip-toe.

The dwarves approached the window, all eyes looking in to see that Hildy was indeed inside the house.

"_**BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"**_

But she was less than stellar.

"_Oh my…"_ Doc whispered, feeling slight concern over the weeping witch.

"_She…she looks so upset."_ Bashful meeped, sinking down sadly.

Hildy was MORE than upset at this point as she continued to bawl her eyes out. She clutched onto her pillow, grabbing tissues and blowing into it hard.

"Oh, Grim. Where are you?" she whimpered and sobbed "I have searched for you all over and…and-!"

The Earth began to shake, an oncoming torrent of tears about to break loose.

"_**I WANT MY HUSBAND BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!" **_

Like magic the entire house began to flood, more and more water filling the space up the harder Hildy cried.

"Whoa, whoa, WHOA!" cried Ball, the water rising uncomfortably close to him "I already spent an entire day in the toilet thanks ta ya! I would like ONE day so I can be dry!"

The five dwarves looked on in shock, the water filling all the way to the windows before they broke, sending a geyser of tears flooding out of the house and washing them away. Once the water had drained the little men came to their senses, Hildy still crying worse than before some distance away.

"Well, Doc?' Sleepy asked, hanging from the limb of a tree.

Doc took off his hat and wrung it free of tears "Guys? This may sound strange but….I think we need to help her."

The others gasped, ASTOUNDED that Doc would even suggest a thing!

"Are you serious?!" Bashful shook, very much afraid of the powerful witch "W-What if she doesn't want our help!? What if that makes her even more upset?!"

"Fellas, I know it's a risk but she just wants her husband back and it looks like she hasn't been able to do it on her own. Maybe with a few extra eyes we can solve everything?"

"And who knows!" Happy chimed in "If we're nice to her, maybe she'll be nice to us and get Sneezy back to dwarf size!"

The remaining three didn't know what to think. All those times the Glooms had attempted to do them in, all those times they had tried to overtake the kingdom and turn it into a twisted version of their own paradise? Why should they help them?

But…

They heard Hildy weeping and realized that while she was a brat she just wanted to be with the one person she loved the most.

Grimwold.

"Ohhhh…." Moaned Bashful "That is so sad. She's so lonely."

Dopey whistled sadly, wiping a tear from his own eye.

"Winkers, maybe we _**ARE**_ the only ones who can help…." Said Sleepy.

"That's it fellas!" smiled Doc as he ushered his friends back towards the cottage "Now let's go."

By now, the house was so flooded with tears that Ball was floating about in a bowl, shaking his face toward the witch.

"C'mon Hildy. Put your chin up! I'm sure Grim is somewhere! Maybe ya can use all this water ta FLUSH 'im out! Eh-hah! I know I already had a bad encounter in tha bathroom but I couldn't resist it, folks!"

The witch levitated a hanky over to her nose and blew "It's been DAYS since I've seen that man and no amount of magic has helped me! W-who else can I turn to?"

"You can turn ta us!"

The woman spun around and let out a shriek "YOU!"

There were the rest of the D, standing at the window and oblivious to the witch's return to anger.

"Greetings Mrs. Gloom!" sang Happy "We just came here to-!"

Doc jumped on Happy and threw him to the ground just as a massive blast of magic shot through the air, turning the place he had been standing into a crater.

"You have a LOT of nerve coming here!" the woman growled as she got to her feet "After what you all put me through, I have the right to turn you all into bean-filled DOLLS!"

"B-Before you do that!" Doc stammered, standing his ground "We know that Grim is lost but we want to HELP you find him!"

Hildy froze, looking down at the tiny men in wonder "Help? You want to HELP me? But why?! Why should I trust you?!"

"B-b-b-because we know ho-how bad it can feel when someone ya care about is hurt." Shivered Bashful, hiding behind Sleepy.

"HA! Likely story!" snarled the witch "I bet you just want to round me up like you did my husband so you can take away my magic too!"

"We didn't do anything to Grim!" Doc said, waving his hands in front of Hildy "We promise you we did not! The only thing we know about Grim is that one of his spells backfired and that's what made Sneezy so, well, BIG!"

"Ah-HA! I knew it!" snapped Hildy "You just want to 'help' me so you can get Grim back THEN force us to use both of our magic!"

"No, NO! W-We do need Grim to solve this but even if we didn't! We would still help you find him!"

At those words Hildy froze, eyeing the wise old dwarf.

"How….how can I be certain that I can trust you?" Hildy said, taking a few steps back "I mean…after everything we've done to Jollywood. H-How do I know you're not trying to lure me?"

"Ma'am. If anything should go wrong….you…..you have my permission…."

The other dwarves looked about nervously, wondering what Doc was to say. The leader of the bunch lowered his head and offered a hand.

"Ma'am, if something bad happens to Grim on my watch then you can turn me into STONE."

"WHAT?!" gasped Bashful.

Even Sleepy was surprised enough to become fully awake for a moment "Doc, that's-! That's-! That's really, REALLY BAD!"

"But I have to do this fellas." The leader said in determination "For everyone's sake, I have to do this!"

Hildy saw the hand and after a bit of hesitation she reached down….and shook.

The '5Ds' and Hildy then began their search, sprawling out all over Jollywood once again in search of the wayward wizard. What they didn't know or could have even guessed was that Grimwold was a lot closer than they could have imagined.

"Oof! This guy is heavy for someone so skinny!" Grumpy strained as he dragged Grim's limp body into the cottage. Thanks to Sneezy's larger gait the three were able to get back home in record time but they still had many things to contend with.

"N-NOW!" Grumpy said, trying to flip Grim onto the couch "What to do with this guy?"

Grim felt as light-headed as a balloon, slowly leaning forward "Oooh, this place is waaaarm!"

*BOOM!*

Onto the ground he went.

"Hmmm, maybe I should tie him down?"

The roof began to creak loudly, the grumpy dwarf looking up to see Sneezy pulling it away to get a better look inside.

"If Grim is that sick, do ya think somethin' like SOUP would help?"

Grumpy took another glance at the wizard; SOUP?

It was going to take MORE than soup to clear whatever he had up.

"Sneezy? I think I know what this guy needs."

First?

Get rid of all that moss.

Grumpy, with some assistance by Sneezy, took buckets and buckets of hot water and soap and POURED it over Grim, the leaves, grass, and moss he had collected on his journey finally washing off, the man now looking like a sick, grey-skinned wizard in bunny underwear.

It was always something with bunnies.

"Now to get you dry…" said Grumpy as he brought over another Doc invention, this contraption looking like a massive hair dryer. He turned it on and a blast of hot air shot in Grim's face, blowing him right out of the tub in the process!

"Whoops. Guess I had it on tha high settin'…." Grumpy said as he looked down "No, wait. It was on LOW."

Grim had crashed into the wall and lay upside down on the floor but Sneezy, being as careful as he could, picked him up by the back of his undershirt and placed him in one of the beds. Grumpy rushed upstairs and then threw a large blanket over him before shoving a thermometer in his mouth and dropping an ice-bag on his head.

"Okay, timin' it…" Grumpy said, looking at his pocket watch. The thermometer peaked higher and higher right before it POPPED!

"Wow, that is some *snrk!* fever!" Sneezy said, watching the situation from the sidelines like a child. Grumpy put his hand on Grim's forehead, surprised at how hot it was.

"You're right. I'm surprised the guy was able ta last this long out here without-!"

"AAAAH-! AH-COOO!"

*POOF!*

Suddenly, the cottage of the Ds turned into a playland, complete with a massive ballpit which everyone was slowly sinking into .

"W-W-W-WHAT IS THIS?!" Grumpy shouted, jumping on the bed with Grim. The wizard snorted loudly and rubbed his nose.

"*SNNNRK!* Bless me…"

"Oh c'mon! As if Sneezy's sneezin' issue wasn't bad enough! Now we got this?!"

"Ah! AAAAH!" screamed Sneezy, getting pulled slowly into the pit as GIANT felt snakes began to wrap around him "Wait, this is a Ball-SNAKE pit?! HELP!"

"AAAAH-! CHOOOOO!"

*POOF!*

Now the house had turned into a VERY fancy and VERY classy apartment penthouse, the magic somehow fitting the large Sneezy snuggly in the room though his outfit wasn't exactly the same. Now for some reason, Sneezy was wearing tattered overalls and a plaid shirt.

And Grim was lying face-down on the floor in some sort of blue repairman's suit.

Sneezy blinked, too worried to move that much "UH?"

"_I-I can fix it…"_

"Oh! What tha-?!" Grumpy jumped, looking down at himself, noticing the blue cardigan he was wearing with the golden G stitched on the breast pocket.

"This feels…NICE?" Sneezy sniffled, not at all feeling comfortable in his new outfit nor how low the ceiling was _"J-just a wee bit tight 'round tha neck, is all…."_

Grumpy was about to say something but that was before a rather snazzy looking lady dwarf in a pink dress sashayed up to him, a fancy cheese tray in her hand and a twinkle in her eye.

"Say Big G? Is this enough cheese for you?" she cooed, rubbing her hand against Grumpy's cheeks.

"Ah…..ya think ya can leave tha place as is?" Grumpy said quickly.

"_Tee-hee-hee!"_

"AAAAAH! CHOOO!"

***POOF!***

IT'S A SMALL WORLD AFTER AAAAAAAAALL!

**IT'S A SMALL WORLD AFTER AAAAAAAAAAAAAAALL!**

_**IT'S A SMALL SMALL SMALL SMALL SMAAAAAAAAAALL-!**_

Now the three had been transported into what seemed to be an ENDLESS dark cavern afloat in a boat, the creepy eyes of wooden children surrounding them as their terrifying song continued.

"GAAAAAAAAAAAUGH!" Grumpy screamed, leaping onto Sneezy "WHAT IS THIS NIGHTMARE!?"

"Hey, I kinda like it." smiled Sneezy but then he looked down "Wait a sec. How can I still fit in this boat? And why are we still floatin'?"

"Bluurublurbrlburblu…." Gurgled Grim, his face down in the water as he hung over the edge of the boat.

"Gah! Get up, get up, get up!" shouted Grumpy as he yanked Grim free from the river

"AAAAAAH-! CHOOOOO!"

***POOF!***

"And here you see two dwarves in their natural habitat." Droned a low voice.

Grumpy looked out to see that now the entire house had been turned into some sort of safari adventure, a large cage of glass surrounding them all while on the outside a carriage full of children looked at them, pointing and laughing at the sight.

"The big one is so cute!"

"Hahah! That angry one has a funny beard!"

"Is the skinny grey one dead?"

"AAAAH! CHOOO!"

*POOF!*

FINALLY!

The house was returned in order, Sneezy once again sitting outside but feeling dizzy after the whirlwind he and Grumpy had been put through.

"Um, I think tha woods is good enough for us. Thank you."

Grumpy made sure that his flowerpot was back in place, that everything was as NORMAL as it could be given the situation "Okay, next thing on our list. We gotta get this guy ta stop sneezin' before he sends our house somewhere where it can't return from!"

"I'm tellin' ya Grumpster…." Sneezy smiled brightly, peeking in from the roof "He needs soup."

Grim coughed "Yes. Big Dwarf is-HACK!-right….I soup need…nooooow…."

"If that's tha case, lemme see what we have."

The grumpy dwarf went down to the kitchen and dug around the cupboards, tossing around a few cans until he found soup.

Just SOUP.

"Ah, perfect!"

Open can.

Heat.

Serve.

Grumpy returned with the steaming hot bowl, handing it over to Grim.

"What…*SNRRRK!* what kinda soup is it?"

"Hmmm, didn't catch tha label."

Grim took a small sip "It…it tastes funny."

"Then its taste-funny soup." Retorted Grumpy "Are ya feelin' any better yet?"

Grim took another sip but he still felt that something was off about the entire thing "I feel….I feel less sneezy."

Grumpy smiled "Ah, good. Now maybe we can finally stop HALF of our sneezin' problem."

The wizard stirred the soup around, noticing some odd lumps inside. He looked perplexed at first but then came the worry.

"Aaaah…this isn't warthog stew, IS IT?"

Sneezy looked down "Warthog stew? Why would we ever buy THAT?"

"Oh, wait a sec…" said Grumpy "I think Doc said somethin' 'bout it only bein' good for cleanin' up axels or somethin' an'-!"

*HIC!*

_***FWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH!***_

Grumpy screamed again as a massive wave of fire shot towards his face, burning a hole right through one of the walls.

"Criminy! What is-!?"

*HIC!*

MORE flames!

"BWHOA!" cried Sneezy as he carefully ducked out of the way, the flames big enough to burn even him "More surprises?!"

Grumpy, trembling horribly, looked up only to find Grim still sitting in the bed with his hands clamped over his mouth and a terrified look on his face. The dwarf growled, grabbing the wizard by his collar.

"What…IS THIS?!"

If only there were people around to see a wizard cower at the anger from a dwarf.

"I-I'm sorry!" the sick wizard pleaded "But warthog stew makes me-! *HIC!*"

There was a hiccup and then another burst of fire. Grumpy fell to the ground once more as some low-hanging beams were smoldering from the flames. Grim landed forward on the bed, realizing just how much trouble was coming for him.

"-HICCUP! *HIC!*"

"AN' breathe fire?!" Grumpy exclaimed "Is there ANY cure ya guys can take that doesn't involve puttin' others in danger?!"

Grim looked over innocently "Sorry, but it's always been like that-*HIC!*"

More and more flames began to shoot everywhere and if Sneezy and Grumpy didn't do anything there wouldn't be a cottage left!

"Okay bed-rest, soup….what else does one need for colds?!"

"*HIC!*"

The box that Grumpy was hiding under was set alight by another burst of fire, the dwarf unable to do anything but blink.

"I knew I shouldn't have gone with tha others…."

Where were the others by the way?

They were coming in close, the other Ds flying with Hildy right behind them.

"Am…am I really doing this?" the young witch said to herself "Am I really allowing myself to be led by these…these dwarves?"

She was starting to doubt their promise but even she was aware that Doc ALWAYS kept his word. Sure, he may have foiled her from time to time but lying?

That was far from proper Doc behavior.

But she could not shake the feeling she had in her stomach, that something was going to happen to either herself or her husband should she choose to go with the dwarves.

There was no turning back at this point. Her choice had been made.

"Mrs. Gloom!"

Hildy snapped from her worry, looking up to see Doc motioning towards her.

"This way!"

"O-oh, right!" she said, forcing a grin "Right…."

"Hickory-Dickory ME!" gasped Doc, seeing a massive burst of flame shooting from the clearing where their home was "What in Jollywood is that?!"

Another wall of flame rose up right between the dwarves and Hildy, the latter being unfortunate enough to wind up just close enough that her broom was burnt to cinders.

"I guess this has something to do with that bad feeling?"

Down she went.

"Oh, goodness!" said Doc looking own "Dopey, see if you can find her!"

Dopey rattled his head and leapt off the flying kart, his hat billowing out as a parachute as he flew down into the forest. Doc pushed the kart into high gear as he rushed home, only to be met with the sight of an enormous Sneezy ducking and covering his head for his life as many massive holes dotted the cottage, smoke billowing everywhere.

"NOW what's going on?!"

*HIC!*

*FWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH!*

Grumpy ran out of the house screaming at the top of his lungs, his pants on fire as he had unfortunately been the target of Grim's latest 'outburst'.

"Stop drop an' roll, Grumpy!" Sneeze shouted.

"I CAN'T! IT'S MAKIN' THA FLAMES WORSE!" Grumpy hollered as the thrashed on the ground.

Sneezy looked around in a panic, scrambling until final-!

An idea!

Not wasting a beat, Sneezy simply picked the smaller dwarf up and DROPPED him right into the pool they had built for the chicken coop, Grumpy soaked but SAFE.

"Aaaaaaaaaaah….." the man sighed, sinking into the water slowly "Thank you…"

*HIC!*

"Great glittering gems! I told you to watch everything, Grumpy!"

"Well, sorry Doc!" Grumpy growled as he clumsily climbed out of the chicken pool "It's hard ta keep things goin' when you've been _**SET ON FIRE!"**_

_***HIC-CUP!***_

"Doc!" Sneezy said worried as he peered into the house. The leader of the D nodded, charging into the house without a fear.

"On it!"

Upstairs, Grim was trying his all to cure his hiccups, the wizard sitting on the floor as he held his breath, puffed out his chest and plugged his fingers in his ears but there was only so much he could do. The wall next to him was on fire, the BED was on fire….who knew what else could be set on fire should he take aim at something or SOMEONE unfortunate enough.

"Grimwold Gloom!" said Doc as he popped his head out of the landing to the bedroom.

Grim was blue in the face from lack of air but seeing Doc appear out of nowhere broke his concentration, the wizard yelping and hiccupping once more!

*HIC!*

This time, the flames shoot down the stairs and right out the door…..

Burning the chicken coop to a crisp.

"Oooh, bad luck there Grumpy." Sleepy said, the grumpy dwarf just looking at the sight, his hard work reduced to ashes.

"Ya know what?" the dwarf called out _**"JUST LET IT ALL BURN! BURN IT ALL!"**_

Inside, Grim hiccupped for what had to be the one-hundredth time and toppled from the landing, crashing hard onto the floor.

"HIC!"

"I know how to fix this!" Doc said, rushing down stairs. As soon as he approached Grim, several arms came from his hat, two of them taking the wizard by his sides.

"H-Hey! What are you *HIC-CUP!* doing?!"

Another arm came from the man's hat, this time holding a large bottle containing an orange liquid. It shook the concoction up and popped off the cap all before shoving the opening righting into Grim's mouth.

"MMUUURRGH!?"

Out of his control Grim drank the entire bottle down in a few big gulps, the hands dropping him hard on the floor as the others came in, standing behind Doc cautiously.

"I-is it over?" Bashful gulped.

Grim said nothing, still trying to take in everything as it had all happened so quickly.

"Well?"

"…_.*urp*."_

Only a small tuff of smoke.

"Jolly-Maid Brand Orange Juice. Works for colds, fevers and flammable hiccups." Doc said proudly, the others taking a breath in relief.

"Great, now that we have THAT solved…." Grumpy began "Maybe we can finally sort all of this out so everyone, an' I mean, EVERYONE can get set right again! An' THIS guy can finally go home to Mrs. Gloom!"

Something went off in Grim's head once he realized that ALL of the 7D were with him.

This was his chance.

It had been long, it had been painful, BUT HIS CHANCE had come!

HE COULD FINALLY CAPTURE THEM ALL FOR HILDY!

"U-Urgh! A-AH!" Grim called triumphantly, stumbling on his feet and sniffling "Now I have you all!"

"Oh, REALLY?" moaned Grumpy "After all'a THAT you're gonna play tha bad guy again? Grim, it's getting' late an' we're all TIRED!"

"TIRED is what you're gonna be once I'm through with you!" the wizard laughed nasally, posing weakly to appear as menacing as possible.

"How are ya gonna zap us without your wand, GENIUS?"

"Lucky I keep SPARES stored-!" Grim began, reaching SOMEWHERE.

The five dwarves in the house cried out in horror, covering their eyes.

"Please, spare us!" cried Bashful "Kids could be reading this!"

"-ON MY SECRET WAND LEG HOLSTER!" Grim finished, pulling up the pants of his under-garment to reveal that he indeed had a cache of extra wands velcrowed on his leg. The dwarves felt much more at ease. He pulled one of the wands off, the Velcro ripping loudly "…probably shouldn't have put that on my leg hair but still!_...owie._"

"Man, I thought we were going down a bad territory with that…" said Sleepy but his ease was put on hold when he felt himself raise off the ground along with the others.

"Haha! Now you're mine!" said Grim.

"Hey, stop!" growled Sneezy as he peered into the cabin "I thought ya were gonna be nice ta us after we helped ya!"

"And I thank you for that." Grim smiled "But I still need to get a present for Hildy but since you'd be too BIG to take along-!"

_Windmills that spin around!_  
_Take his oversized D and hold him on the ground!_

The wand cast its magic again on the windmills of the house, their arms suddenly wrapping around the stunned dwarf and pulling him to the ground with a massive thud.

"Ahh, not again!"

"Get outta that, Sneezer!"

"Ungh! SNEEZY!"

"Um, I'm sure it's just the fever." Happy tried to reassure the others "He just needs more bed-rest an' a few songs an'-!"

_Bed that is burnt but is still intact_

_Fly me home, fast as a gnat!_

"Do ya REALLY hafta rhyme like that?" Grumpy moaned, rolling his eyes as Grim threw him and the other dwarves into the now floating bed.

"It was the only class I got top-marks in college." Grim said proudly "That and my neo-classical glass blowing elective."

And like the wind, the group took off but down below….

"Oh, to be helped by a dwarf…." Hildy protested as Dopey dragged her along, the woman covered in thorns and sticks after her 'landing' "Everyone in my sorority would LAUGH at this."

Dopey whistled brightly as he pulled a head, Hildy nearly falling over.

"Oh, watch it!"

But when they got to the cottage they only saw that it was smoldering and Sneezy was trapped helpless on the ground, the wood of the windmill binding him tight. The witch gave another loud gasp, the dwarf looking even LARGER as she stood before him.

"I-! Ah-!"

"Auugh! Dopey?!"

The youngest dwarf whistled in reply, waving his arms in the arm.

"It's Grim! H-he took the others back to the Gloom cottage!"

"So he was here?!" Hildy gasped "When did you-?! Aurgh, forget it! This scavenger hunt has gone on long enough! We're ending this!"

"Don't you dare leave!" Sneezy said harshly, managing to move his hand just enough to plant his finger on the back of Hildy's dress, holding her in place "Your husband has my friends an' there is NO WAY I'm gonna allow ya ta go by yourself without ME!"

"You stubborn pipsqueak!" Hildy began "I should have your hat for-!"

Sneezy managed to push himself up, bracing his arms and shoulders against the woods before finally KNOCKING them off him. He glared down at Hildy, his massive shadow falling over her.

"What was that?" said the dwarf "Did ya call me? A pip-SQUEAK?"

Uh-oh.

The witch began to sweat realizing that she could be in even BIGGER trouble if she tried anything funny.

"Ah-hehe. Um….I-I think we might be able to talk to Grim."

"All of us?" Sneezy said, his hands on his sides.

"A-All of us…" responded Hildy "T-Trust me."

Without saying another word, Sneezy took both Hildy and Dopey into his hands and walked off towards the house of the Glooms.

And this time he was going to make sure things ended properly.


End file.
